Out of the Ashes
by BittyBlueEyes
Summary: This is a sequel to "Break Me Down" Rescued from the death eaters, the war now ended, Hermione and Draco try to find themselves and where they belong as the wizarding world begins to find healing.
1. Demanded

**READ THIS: This story is a sequel to my story "Break Me Down" **(rated M for violence and language)** Though the first story can be enjoyed without the sequel, the sequel will not make sense without first reading "Break Me Down" as this picks up immediately where the other leaves off. Hope you enjoy. ^^**

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The front door of Aunt Muriel's Manor was thrown open with great force as Harry and Ron stormed into the house with their wands raised. The house was still dark, only lit by the mid-morning sun. They surveyed the front room nervously as though poised for attack.

"You take upstairs," Harry instructed. Ron gave a curt nod and raced up the main stairwell towards the bedrooms, throwing open every door as he passed. Harry ran down the hall to the left and burst into the kitchen, after a quick glance he continued through to the dining room.

"Oh! Harry! You startled me! Is everything-?"

"Sorry, Andromeda," Harry apologized quickly. "But where's Hermione?"

Andromeda Tonks, still looking startled looked at Harry's disheveled appearance with concern. He was even thinner than she'd seen him just a few weeks ago, his baggy clothes filthy and ripped, a few blood stains on them. His hair, though always a bit on the messy side, had grown longer and was now caked with dirt, a few tiny twigs and a bit of grass in it. Though she never felt threatened by the boy, her protective instincts arose and she held the baby in her arms closer. "I think she was going to the library."

Harry gave a curt nod and raced back the way he came, racing back the dark hallway that ran on the opposite side of the house. He ran past several doors and stopped at one near the end, throwing the door open. His wand instantly fell on his target, a young man with white-blonde hair, sitting in a high-backed armchair with a book in his lap. The boy looked up and simply looked annoyed.

"Ron! He's here! The library!" Harry shouted through the house.

"Harry!" A surprised cry rang from the other side of the room. In her excitement, Hermione dropped the book she had just taken from the shelf unceremoniously on the floor and flew across the room. She gently pushed Harry's wand arm down as she threw her other arm around his neck in a one armed hug. Harry wrapped his free arm around her waist in an almost crushing hug but never taking his eyes off of the boy in the chair. Hermione stepped back, one hand cupping his face while the other kept his wand pointed down. She smiled at with such relief as she surveyed him carefully. "You're okay?"

"It's not me I'm worried about," He said flatly, taking only a second's glance at her.

Hermione sighed and firmly pulled his chin in her direction. "Harry. He-"

A second figure burst into the room, his wand also falling automatically on the blonde boy. He quickly shook his shaggy red hair out of his eyes, glanced at Harry and Hermione, and looked back at the pale pointed face of Draco Malfoy, daggers in his eyes.

"Ron!" Hermione shrieked with enthusiasm, throwing both her arms around his neck, pulling him down awkwardly. He wrapped both of his arms around her, closing his eyes for just a second to truly appreciate the safety of his missing friend. But when his eyes opened, he immediately returned to his angry stance, his wand pointed at Draco. "Oh, stop," Hermione said with gentle exasperation. "Put your wands down."

Harry and Ron completely ignored Hermione's request. "Get out," Harry growled.

Draco did not move or speak. He sat straight in the chair, his face solid and his grey eyes cold as ice.

"Stop it, Harry," Hermione ordered with more force. "He's not going to do anything. Lower your wands."

"I said, 'Get out.'" Harry repeated angrily, ignoring Hermione again.

Draco looked up at Hermione in question.

"No," She said firmly. "He's not leaving. Now lower your wands!"

"Stay out of it, Hermione," Harry replied, not even giving her a glance. "This is the last time I'm going to say it, '_Get. Out._'"

Draco glanced at Hermione once more and stared at Harry, not intimidated in the least, his face as stone. "I won't leave until she asks me to," Draco answered.

"It's not up to her," Ron growled. "This house belongs to my family and you're not welcome here so get the fuck out!"

Draco sank back into the chair in defiance and Ron's eyes flashed with rage, a spark of blue light leapt from the end of his wand shattering the teacup on the table at Draco's elbow. Draco didn't flinch.

"Stop it!" Hermione roared. Harry shot the next spell at the chair directly next to Draco's ear. "I said stop it! Leave him alone!!!"

Hermione stepped in front of them, blocking Harry's wand.

"Stay out of it, Hermione!" Ron yelled, roughly grabbing Hermione by her arm and pulling her out of the way. At this move Draco shot to his feet.

"Don't touch her like that!" Draco said angrily.

"Draco, sit down. And _you_ leave him alone! He's not going to do anything." Hermione commanded shoving Ron's hand off of her. She started walking toward Draco and Harry grabbed her shirt sleeve.

"I said, 'Don't touch her.'" Draco growled. "_Vectignis_." Blue flames leapt to life in Draco's right palm.

"NO!" Hermione swatted Harry's hand away and rushed to Draco, placing both hands on his chest. "Stop, please."

The fire in Draco's hand weakened and withered away. Hermione pouted and tenderly took his hand in hers. "Now it's red again... Does it burn?"

"No. It just gets hot," Draco assured. Harry and Ron watched them in utter confusion and disgust.

"Hermione, what the hell are you doing?" Ron spat.

"I'm trying to tell you! Draco's not a threat. He doesn't even have a wand," Hermione glowered.

"He doesn't look like he needs one," Ron said bitterly, his face scrunched as though he were smelling something foul.

"Well what do you expect him to do?! You're casting spells at an unarmed man!" Hermione admonished. "He's not who you think he is and I'm not going to let you just throw him out."

"Hermione," Harry said threateningly.

"Don't talk to me like that," Hermione berated. "I'm not backing down. You're going to hear me."

"Fine. Talk. But then you back off," Harry compromised. Hermione crossed her arms. "I said I'd hear you." Harry looked at Draco through narrowed eyes which were returned just as sharp.

"No. Not like this. If you can't keep your wands down, then we talk somewhere else," Hermione said fiercely. She stormed over to the door and waited for Ron and Harry to follow. Harry turned sharp on his heel and exited the room, a tight grip on his wand. Hermione followed him and Ron slammed the door shut behind him.

"_Defigo_," Ron muttered, locking the door so that only he could unlock it. Harry nodded in approval, but Hermione was stiff and angry and started down the hall to the next room. She walked into a small personal study and waited for Ron and Harry.

"What the hell was that, Hermione?" Harry shouted.

"I was trying to keep you from doing something stupid!" Hermione returned with equal anger. "You just burst in there and started attacking an unarmed man! He had no wand!" She gestured wildly to the wall through which Draco waited. "He's not the dangerous man you think he is. He's changed," She insisted fervently, looking from one to the other.

"Damn it, Hermione," Ron cursed. "You act as though you're trying to keep a stray puppy. He's a bloody death eater!"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you: He's not!" she proclaimed.

"Yes he is!" Harry fumed. "I know you refused to believe it last year, but you can't deny it now! He almost killed Dumbledore! I saw his mark! He's a bloody death eater."

"I won't deny that he _was_, but he's not," she insisted. "He's changed."

"Of course he'll say he's changed now it's over! But he was one of them that imprisoned you!! How can you say he didn't?" Ron shouted angrily.

"I was imprisoned _with_ him! I've been with him for three weeks, I think we can agree that I know him a bit better than you," she spat, even angrier that they could bring up her imprisonment so casually. "He saved me! He healed me and fed me and protected me with great risk to himself!" Tears started welling up in her eyes and her body shook with anger and grief.

"So he healed you and fed you!" Ron yelled caustically. "That doesn't make him a saint. That doesn't make up for everything he's done!"

"And what all has he done?!" Hermione snapped. "He didn't choose to be a death eater. He's never killed or tortured a single person!"

"He let the death eaters into Hogwarts! The Battle of the Tower would have never happened if it weren't for him!" Harry shouted.

"And you saw what it did to him! It broke him! He only did it to save his life and the life of his family!" Hermione protested.

"Then he should have died!" Harry raged.

"Yeah, maybe it's what you or I might have done if our lives were threatened, but not everyone can do that! And you might have died if it were just you threatened. But what if it was me and Ron's lives on the line? Would it be as easy for you to sacrifice us?!" Hermione seethed. "There are dozens of people who have done what the dark lord asks to save their loved ones, and they're forgiven!"

"Malfoy will never be forgiven," Harry growled.

"Because of a schoolboy grudge?!" Hermione accused. "You were so insistent that Stan Shunpike was innocent and just forced into the dark lord's service, but it's your childish grudge that won't allow you to see that Draco's not as bad as you always thought he was!"

"And he talks sweet and feeds you when you're vulnerable so that you'll protect him," Ron reasoned. "I don't care what he's done, he's not staying here," Ron finished in a tone that left no doubt that he was done with the conversation. He turned toward the door, Harry on his heel, with purpose in their step.

"Stop!" Hermione commanded.

"Hermione, we listened like we said we would," Harry said calmly yet firmly. "But we haven't changed our minds. We're doing you a favor by just sending him away instead of letting him wait in Azkaban until his trial date. But we're not going to put up the sod."

"Fine," Hermione clenched her teeth as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "Then I'm leaving too." Hermione started to push through them, intent on going to Draco when Ron pushed her back.

"No. We just got you back," Ron said firmly. "You're not leaving, and especially not with him."

"And what are you going to do to stop me?!" Hermione barked. "I've been locked away for three bloody weeks!!!" Hermione had never screamed so fiercely in her life, her fists clenched, her body almost doubled over as angry tears dripped from he chin. Do you intend to lock me away now too?!"

Harry and Ron stood in complete shock, their mouths open and brows furrowed with concern. "Hermione..." Harry said softly.

"You have a choice! You kick him out or you make me stay. You don't get both," she seethed, forcing her breaths to remain even. She pushed passed them and stopped outside the library door. "Take as much time as you need. Talk to Ginny if you need someone else's opinion. But until then, I'm staying with Draco. Unlock the door."

Ron and Harry glared at her but more out of irritation and concern than anger. Never had they met a more unpredictable or stubborn witch. Hermione waited impatiently outside of the door. Harry and Ron exchanged glances and Ron grudgingly unlocked the door. Hermione opened it quickly and slammed it shut behind her. As soon as the door was closed, she fell to her knees and allowed her tears to flow freely again.

Draco glared at the door as though he could see the two boys through it. he looked down at Hermione, his heart aching for her. He knew this was how it would be and never wanted her to suffer it. His mind wandered to their conversation they had late last night when she came to sleep in his bed. She had begged him not to leave. _Can't you see that I love you?_ Draco took a deep breath. It was the love she had for him that was going to tear her life apart. _I should have never agreed to stay. _Draco knelt by her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. At his light touch Hermione buried her face against his chest and wept.

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**Ahh! Drama from the get go!**

**I hope you like it so far.**

**Please review! ^^**


	2. Decided

Hermione's knees began to ache as she knelt on the library floor next to Draco, her face pressed to his chest as she wept. She had known that Harry and Ron would not react well toward Draco, but still felt so hurt by the force with which they rejected him. She had known that they would not understand, but it did not make it any less painful.

"Hermione, you knew it would be like this. I told you it would be like this. I told you that I don't belong here." Draco's voice sounded flat and almost void of emotion, but Hermione knew that it was not without feeling. He was concerned for her. Draco slowly got to his feet and helped Hermione to hers. He stared at her flush tear-stained cheeks, her eyes closed and head tilted toward the ground. "Look at me," he ordered softly. Her soft brown eyes opened and looked up into his solid chiseled face. "If you're doing this just to protect me, then don't. It's not worth it."

"Of course it is," Hermione responded. "But you know that's not the only reason I asked you to stay." She reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks but Draco beat her to it, gently brushing them away with his thumbs.

"I just don't want to make things even harder for you," Draco replied. "You've been through enough. I don't have to stay."

"It's not you that's making it difficult. I want you to stay…" Hermione said softly. "I just feel bad asking you to stay when they're acting like that." She sniffled as she tried to restrain more tears.

Draco snorted derisively. "They can't get to me," Draco declared dismissively. "It's you that I'm concerned for."

Hermione snorted a pained disdainful chuckle in reply. "I can handle Harry and Ron too… but that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt."

"Which is just what I'm talking about, I don't want-" Draco started.

"It has nothing to do with you," Hermione interrupted.

"It has everything to do with me," Draco replied bitterly, his eyes narrowing.

"No. Really it doesn't," Hermione insisted. "If they can't accept you, then they can't accept me."

"That's stupid," Draco disagreed. "Accepting me has nothing to do with how they see you."

"Yes it does. They can't fully accept me unless they respect my feelings and at least _try_ to understand what I'm going through," Hermione protested. "To dismiss you is to dismiss my feelings, thoughts, and desires all together."

"To dismiss?" Draco asked in confusion.

Hermione averted her eyes, her jaw stiffening. She looked a dangerous combination of hurt and angry, prepared to spill tears at any time. "I told you that I can handle them. This wouldn't be the first time that they shunned me because I stood up for something."

"Shunned?!" Draco exclaimed, his confusion mixing with anger at the word. "What are you talking about?"

"D-didn't you hear…?" Hermione looked over at the wall of which on the other side she had had her shouting match with Harry and Ron.

"Pieces," Draco said, his eyes narrowing, impatiently expecting her to answer his previous question.

"I-"

The door handle turned and Hermione spun around quickly to face it. Harry and Ron walked in, both faces cold and fierce looking. They stared at Draco as they entered, allowing themselves only a small glance at Hermione. Hermione was glad that they did not look at her longer, for she feared she would begin to cry again.

There was a long charged silence before Harry finally spoke. "Fine. You stay," He said to Draco in deep callous voice. "But if you even think of harming a single hair on anyone's head, if you cast a single spell, wand or not, insult a single person or even accidentally break your water glass at dinner, then it's over. And if you actually do hurt anyone, then I will personally see that you experience as much pain as possible before I let the dementor kiss you," he threatened darkly.

Draco listened to him, completely unperturbed, staring him dead in the eye. When Harry had finished speaking Draco gave a curt nod.

A single tear rolled down Hermione's cheek, a tear of relief. "Thank you," she said quietly. Just as she had finished telling Draco, she felt that whatever way they decided about him, was a reflection to how they regarded her. They may not like him, or even respect him, but in allowing him to stay it showed that they respected her and greatly trusted her judgment. And through that, with time, perhaps their view of Draco might change.

Harry and Ron continued to stare at Draco, their jaws tightened.

"C'mon, Harry," Ron said quietly, tugging on Harry's sleeve. Harry nodded and started backing away with Ron.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Hermione asked, taking a step forward, looking concerned.

"Hogwarts," Harry said quietly, the anger and threat in his voice gone. "There's still alot to do."

"Just let me get dressed then," Hermione said hurriedly, rushing toward the door. "I can be ready in two minutes."

"No," Harry answered softly, gently placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder to prevent her from passing him. "You're not going."

"Yes, I am," Hermione protested. "The battle's over. You just said there's alot to do. I can help."

"Just because the battle's over doesn't mean there's no danger," Harry said simply.

"And you think I can't handle it? Just like everyone else..." Hermione pressed bitterly. "I've been through how much with you? I can handle myself just fine."

Harry sighed. "I never said you couldn't. But it's no place for you right now," Harry explained, his voice still calm.

"Because I'm so weak? Because Hermione just can't-" Hermione started.

"Because I can't bear the idea of you getting hurt again. I've done a really poor job of protecting you these last few months and I'm not going to keep putting you in harm's way. Especially not now that things are getting better. And not right after we got you back," Harry explained, tenderly cupping Hermione's face in his hand, a pained look on his face. She had such a haunted look in her eyes and he blamed himself for it.

Hermione stared at his glistening green eyes. "Harry, what happened to me is not your fault. We were all in danger, _for years_. We were lucky that we made it as far as we did before they found us."

"But I'm the reason they found us," Harry said, tears forming in his eyes.

"Harry, I don't blame you," Hermione declared earnestly.

"It wasn't your fault, mate," Ron agreed solemnly. "But he is right, Hermione. We should have protected you better. You're going to stay here."

"It's not your job to protect me," Hermione protested. "You had to protect yourselves also. It was better me than Harry. But that's all beside the point. It's over now. The battle is over. The war is over. You can't just expect me to sit around and do nothing. They need all the help they can get."

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but you're staying here," Harry stated firmly.

"No. I'm coming with you," Hermione argued, grabbing ahold of Harry's wrist. "I'm coming in my pajamas if you won't wait for me to dress. You won't apparate without me."

Harry's shoulders slumped as he sighed in exasperation. She knew she was grasping at straws. She knew that wouldn't work. She was becoming desperate.

"Hermione," Ron said firmly, becoming a little impatient. "You made a deal. He's staying," Ron nodded grudgingly to the almost forgotten blonde. "So _you're_ staying... You got your puppy."

Hermione pouted, staring despondently at the floor, and released Harry's arm. Slowly she nodded. "Just..." She closed her eyes, apprehensive to continue her question. "H-how bad is it?"

Harry's gaze also fell to the side. "It's going to take weeks to clean up the castle... The great hall is full of people... dozens injured....... we don't have a death count yet, for either side..."

Hermione's lip quivered, her eyes beginning to sting, as she put great effort into asking the one question she'd been pushing from her mind all morning. "...Who?"

Both boys looked sad and distant, their eyes unseeing. Finally Ron found his voice, though it was weak. "Lupin and Tonks..."

"No," Hermione gasped, her breathes coming in ragged bursts as her tears finally let loose.

"Colin Creevey..." Harry spoke quietly, his eyes filling with unshed tears, his eyes seeing nothing as his mind looked down on the pale cold face and blank eyes of the small mousy-haired teen.

"Fred looked pretty bad," Ron continued. "They sent him to St. Mungo's right away. They say he should recover."

"We should go," Harry said, his energy and anger returning causing his body to become rigid again. "We'll be back tonight," he told Hermione. "Take care of yourself. I know you trust him, but I don't. Don't let your guard down. If you get the least bit concerned, call for Andromeda. She has a wand," he directed his last statement at Draco. "If there are any problems at all, she's ordered to use it any way she sees fit. You even cough wrong, Malfoy, and the entire order will be here in 30 seconds."

Draco nodded, his face still firm and unreadable, but slightly softer than it had been a few moments ago.

"We mean it, Hermione," Ron said vehemently. "Don't trust him."

Hermione still crying, merely nodded to appease them. At her agreement, Harry and Ron nodded to each other and disapparated.

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The rest of the day and the following two days crawled by. Hermione and Draco were left alone almost all day. The rest of the house's occupants, except Andromeda and baby Teddy, went back to Hogwarts right after breakfast. Mrs. Weasley would return at about eleven o'clock and make a large lunch, with Hermione's help, to feed the masses that were helping to rebuild the castle. She would return again late afternoon to prepare dinner. With exception of helping to prepare meals, Hermione was usually found in the library with Draco. It was a silent three days, everyone too emotionally exhausted to speak. Everyone would return in the evenings and share a large meal, but they too were spent in mournful silence. It wasn't until the third evening, the evening that Andromeda and Baby Teddy returned to their home, that speech returned to the table.

"So," said Mrs. Weasley. Everyone looked up from their plates, tired and somber. "As you all know, tomorrow we'll all be going to Hogwarts to attend the war memorial service to honor all of those who fought… and those lost… And directly after we'll be going to Remus and Nymphadora's funeral service…" She paused, taking a deep breath, everyone's eyes falling back to their plates. "S-so I want everyone to lay out their dress robes after dinner. If anyone needs theirs cleaned or pressed, make sure you let me know."

A deep crease appeared in Hermione's brow as she chewed her bottom lip. "M-Mrs. Weasley…"

"Molly, dear," Mrs. Weasley corrected.

"Right… Molly… My clothes were all lost when we were… when I was… I don't have any dress robes," Hermione swallowed hard. She didn't know why, but she had such a difficult time even mentioning the time she'd been captured. Just bringing it up made the whole thing play out in her mind again, causing a great ache inside.

"I know, dear. So when I was in Diagon Alley today, I picked you up a set," Mrs. Weasley announced, looking at Hermione sympathetically.

"Oh, thank you," Hermione said. She then glanced over at Draco who sat at her left. She knew that Draco also didn't have any dress robes, but was certain that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have thought to do the same for him. She wanted to say something but didn't know what she could say. It was too late to go out and get some now. Draco glanced at Hermione and looked down at his plate dejectedly.

A great sigh from across the table caused everyone to look up. "Since Fred's still in the hospital, you can borrow his, Draco," George offered. He sounded slightly annoyed but at the same time it didn't feel as though he really felt put out in any way.

Draco stared at him a little stunned. No one, with exception of Hermione, had really spoken to him since Harry and Ron had the first morning. No one was unkind to him, just looked at him in silence. So in being spoken to and, even more, presented with a generous offer, Draco became too surprised to speak. After a few seconds he blinked away his shock and found his voice. "Um, Thank you… I really appreciate it."

"It has a big green stain on the inside, but as long as you're not hit by a strong wind, then no one should notice," George continued so as to lighten the uncomfortable exchange.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Thank you," Draco said again.

"Very good," Mrs. Weasley said. "Once you all have your clothes set out for tomorrow, make sure you all have your trunks packed up and bring them down to the front door before you turn in tonight. Immediately following the service, we'll be returning home to The Burrow." Hermione and Draco glanced at each other at this news. No one had told them that they would be leaving the next day. Looking around the table, it seemed that they were the only two that had not been informed. Draco looked back at his plate and Hermione looked up at Mrs. Weasley, biting her lip as she tried to think of the best way to ask what she was thinking. But Mrs. Weasley took one look at Hermione and added meaningfully, "_All_ of us."

Draco looked up at his second surprise of the evening. He looked up at Mrs. Weasley to find that she was staring directly at him. Her look toward him was stern, as always, but somehow kind. Hermione had told him that they were beginning to warm up to him, but it was impossible for him to tell as everyone was being so quiet. He took a look across the table to see Harry and Ron glaring at him as usual. At least _most_ of them seemed to be warming up to him.

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	3. Berated

Hermione woke to the sound of soft snoring. She opened her eyes and looked at the blond laying next to her in bed. He looked so peaceful, his pale face soft in the morning light, his thin pink lips parted slightly as he slept. It was nice to see him so unconcerned. He looked like he was in such pain each moment he was awake, but then, so did she.

Each night since the night they first arrived at Aunt Muriel's house, they tried to sleep in their separate beds, knowing it wasn't healthy how much they depended on one another, but each night their nightmares returned. Each night as they tried to fall asleep, images and feelings from their imprisonment came back to haunt them. They were haunted by them each moment of the day, but it was always the worst when they lay in bed where they had nothing else to occupy their minds. Sleep was always hard to find. Sleep inevitably brought them into a vivid replica of the cellar chamber, surrounded by the faces of their enemies, hearing the voices as clearly as if they were still there, remembering the pain and torture that they tried constantly to forget.

But they still had one another. Each time their nightmares came, they would be awoken by the other. Whoever had their nightmare first, that's whose bed they would share that night. They knew it was dangerous to rely so heavily on one another. It would only make it harder for them to come to stand on their own again, but there didn't seem like much else they could do. They had already come to rely on each other so much that they couldn't stand on their own.

"Draco," Hermione whispered gently. Draco groaned in response. "Draco, we have to get up and start getting ready," she explained. Draco groaned and grumbled something incoherent before turning on his side away from her. Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Draco, we're going to be late if we don't start getting ready. You have to wake up."

"Fi~ine," Draco growled grumpily, still sounding half asleep.

Hermione rolled her eyes. He was as bad as Ron. "So you are going to get up then?" she pressed.

"Yes, I'm getting up," he mumbled. Hermione, feeling irritated, nodded in response even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"Okay. I'm taking a quick shower before we leave. Please don't fall back to sleep," Hermione pleaded.

"Mm-hmm," Draco answered. He heard the door to the bathroom click and felt his consciousness ebbing away. It felt like only seconds later when he was startled awake by a knock at the door. "Um, Come in."

The door burst open and Ron raced in, his eyes flaming as much as his hair. "What are you doing?!" he demanded.

"Damn, Weasley. You don't have to get so pissy. I'm getting up, alright?" Draco said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in bed.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in Hermione's room?!" Ron barked, closing the distance between them and grabbing a fist of Draco's pajama top, lifting him off the bed a couple inches.

The bathroom door flew open and Hermione stood in the doorway, dressed in deep violet dress robes, her hair still wet, looking terrified. "What's going on?!" She demanded.

"Get the fuck off me, Weasley. I was just sleeping," Draco growled, shoving Ron's hand off of his clothes.

"Well you don't just decide you're going to sleep in her room without people knowing. There's no way we'd allow-" Ron started heatedly.

"Ron, he's been sharing my room since we got here. I thought everyone knew," Hermione interrupted. "I thought you expected me to keep an eye on him or something."

"That's just stupid! Harry and I wanted you to stay as far away from this bastard as possible! What made you think that we'd want you to room with him?! We're worried for your safety!"

"Calm down, Weasel," Draco grumbled, his eyes narrowed in a deep scowl. He felt insulted. "I haven't done anything to her. We sleep. That's it." He wasn't about to admit that they shared a bed. That would be opening a whole new can of worms. "And you say you don't trust me alone with her but you leave me alone with her all day while you're gone. I haven't done anything to her. But if I wanted to kill her or something, it'd be just as easy to do during the day. So what's your fucking prob-" Draco's speech was interrupted when Ron suddenly punched him in the face. Draco's left eye exploded in a blinding white pain. "Fuck! You bloody psycho!" Draco jumped to his feet and was staring dangerously at the red-haired boy.

"RON!" Hermione berated. "How could you…?! You…" She couldn't seem to spit out what she wanted to say in her fury.

"What are you going to do, Malfoy?" Ron goaded in a threatening tone.

Draco stared up at him. Despite Ron being much taller than him, Draco knew he'd be able to put up a good fight. But he also knew that if he did, it would put Hermione in tears and himself in a prison cell. Not for one moment did he complain to himself that it wasn't fair. He learned long ago that life wasn't fair. You just had to pick your battles. He had to put up with a lot of shit over the last few years. If he could control his urges to lash out around death eaters then he'd just have to do the same here.

"I'm going to get dressed," Draco snapped bitterly. Ron looked at him in confusion. Draco shoved Ron out of the way and walked out of the room. He could hear Hermione shouting at Ron as he walked down the hall. A few doors down he stopped and knocked on the door.

"Damn, I'm getting up, alright?" A voice grumbled within.

"George, it's Draco," he addressed uncertainly.

"…Oh. Come in then," George answered. Draco glanced down the hall where the shouting match was still going on and gladly entered George's room. George, like Draco was only a couple minutes ago, was laying in bed looking as though he had just woken up after being harassed numerous times. "Damn, what happened to you?" George asked as he sat up and started rubbing his eyes, staring at Draco's rapidly swelling eye. Draco didn't answer. He didn't trust himself to speak. "Harry or Ron?"

"Ron," he answered shortly.

"What'd you do?" George asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"He just found out I was sharing a room with Hermione. Which I thought everyone already knew…" Draco grumbled bitterly, his face contorted with rage.

To Draco's surprise, George laughed in response. "I never even thought of where you might be sleeping. I bet everyone's overlooked that. And yeah, that would be enough to earn you one with Ron," George said dismissively. Draco scowled at him. He felt uncertain whether he was being insulted or not. George looked amused by Draco's predicament, but at the same time seemed undisturbed by any of the news. "Robes are on the bed," George continued, nodding toward the bed that had been Fred's.

"May I please use your shower?" Draco asked. Though he sounded very polite his voice was cold and stiff.

"You could, but I really wouldn't suggest it. Mum's already in a tizzy because we're running late. And you really don't want anyone else upset with you right now, _her_ most especially," George advised, pulling off his pajama shirt.

Draco nodded and pulled off his own top. George's eyes fell upon the scar over Draco's heart and traveled up to the scar on his neck. He pursed his lips, looking at Draco with something like pity. Draco's eyes narrowed again as he noticed this and turned around picking up the white collared shirt from the bed. George rolled his eyes and walked over to the set of robes laid out on his trunk at the end of his bed. They dressed in silence.

George smiled at the angry knock on the door. "What?" he mumbled in a weak sleepy morning voice. Draco turned around and looked at George curiously, wondering why he was talking like that.

"George Weasley, if you're still in that bed I'm-" The voice stopped as Ginny entered the room. George laughed when Ginny saw that he was wide awake and fully dressed, brushing his shaggy ginger hair.

"Very funny, George. But I'd stop playing around if I were you. Mum's on a rampage and right now you're her next target because your and Fred's trunks aren't downstairs," Ginny berated.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll take them down in a minute," George muttered. Ginny and George looked over at Draco who was adjusting his tie in the mirror. His jaw was tight and he looked disgusted. He looked as though he hadn't heard a word that they had spoken.

"Fuck!" he burst out angrily, ripping the tie from his neck and throwing it onto the bed. "I can't do this! I can't go to that memorial service! That girl has got to stop lying to herself!" Draco began furiously pacing the length of the bed. Ginny and George stared at him with concern and exchange looks. Draco stopped pacing and stared at them angrily as he ranted on. "She's so desperate for people to accept me that she thinks I can just waltz right into Hogwarts where half of wizarding England will be and the worst I'll get is glares. I get glares from the people who say they trust me! I get _this_," Draco jabbed a finger at his swollen eye. "from someone who decided to give me a chance! If I show up at that fucking school they're going to burn me at the stake!"

Ginny and George looked at each other again. "Hermione always has been an optimist…" George supplied.

"She's not an optimist; she's just lying to herself and she knows it!" Draco argued. "She just needs people to accept me. Our fates are tied now. She can't heal unless I can. But it's a fucking joke! No one is ever going to see me as anything but a death eater. Even you two, who seem to trust me more than anyone, look at me and can't help but see who I was." Draco threw his outer robe on the bed and began hurriedly unbuttoning his shirt. In his haste, a few buttons popped off. He growled in frustration and decided to forgo the rest of the buttons, pulling the shirt over his head and throwing it on the bed. "Can one of you mend the shirt before Potter kicks me out of the house?" he growled.

"George…" Ginny looked at George meaningfully and let out a heavy sigh.

George let out a great sigh as well and nodded his head in defeat. Ignoring Draco's curious look, he walked over to his trunk and began digging through it.

"I don't see you as a death eater when I look at you," Ginny told Draco seriously. "But I do look at you and wonder who you really are. I do believe you've changed, but I can't say that I know you. As time passes and I get to know you better and I'm sure I'll see you more as Hermione does. And I think Hermione is right. In time, I think most people will come to accept you. But I also think that this service really isn't the place to be testing the public's opinion of you."

"Here," said George, thrusting a bottle into Draco's chest. Draco accepted it and looked down at a half pint bottle of orange goopy potion. "Take a big gulp. _Just_ a gulp."

Draco stared at it apprehensively then back up at George. "What is it?"

"Polyjuice potion," George answered. "You're going to be Fred."

"What?" Draco asked, looking at the bottle again. "Are you sure I should?" he asked looking back and forth between the two of them.

"You have a better idea?" George asked in annoyance.

Draco pursed his lips in thought and finally uncorked the bottle, taking a large gulp. He grimaced at the strange taste, almost gagging at the thick lumpy gravy-like texture. Almost instantly his skin began to bubble and crawl. Ginny took the bottle from Draco's hand so that he wouldn't drop it. Draco sprouted up an extra two inches, his shoulders broadening. He looked down and saw his arms start to break out in freckles. The scar on his chest vanished before his eyes and his chest sprouted a few sparse ginger hairs. His scalp tingled as he felt his hair lengthen slightly. After another couple seconds, his body stopped tingling and he looked at Ginny and George expectantly.

"Aww, damn…" George grumbled. "The nail must have been from a few months ago. His hair's too short. We should replace them more often. _Reparo_," he added as he waved the wand at the shirt on the bed, the buttons refastening to their places. "Get dressed." Draco nodded and did as he was told.

"Why do you keep samples of you and Fred's fingernails anyway?" Ginny asked.

"We don't keep just _ours_. And it might have been a toenail…" George said thoughtfully. Ginny grimaced at the thought of drinking a potion made with her brother's dirty toenail. "We have quite a collection. We've got yours too, in fact. Our collection boasts Kingsley's, Mum's, Mundungus's, Percy's, Umbridge's, Filch's, and Bagman's… among others. Never know when you might need them…"

"Just for your polyjuice potion?" Ginny asked. "And if so, why do you need _mine_?" she pressed, feeling scandalized.

"We normally just use it for business dealings. But you never know when you'll need to be someone else. Best to be prepared," George said seriously. "And look, it's paid off," he said, gesturing to Draco. "Just... someone will suspect something if we have different hair cuts… Give me a trim Ginny?"

Draco stared at them feeling completely out of place. He walked over to the mirror and examined himself. He looked just like Fred Weasley from about a year ago. His shaggy ginger hair hanging just to the sides of his eyes, the back of it stopping in the middle of his neck. This was the same haircut he'd seen them with when they had opened their shop in Diagon Alley.

"You owe me for this, Malfoy," George said as Ginny started severing a few inches off of George's hair with her wand. Fred and George had let their hair grow quite long again because George preferred to cover his ear, or rather his lack of.

"Oh c'mon, George. This will get you brownie points with Mum. She'll think you did it for the occasion," Ginny said as she took care in trimming the hair in his eyes. George shrugged.

"Thanks," Draco said, looking in the mirror again. He could no longer see the bruise on his eye that was there a few minutes ago.

"There should be enough in the bottle to get you through the service, but probably not the whole funeral. But there won't be many people at the funeral, so you should be good. Make sure you take some every hour," George instructed. He loosened his wristwatch and tossed it to Draco. Ginny shoved George's head in annoyance because of his movement. Draco finished strapping on the wristwatch and George stood up, brushing the stray hair off his robes. Ginny used her wand to clean up the mess.

"Really. I can't thank you enough," said Draco, shaking George's hand.

"Like I said, 'You owe me,'" George said seriously.

"GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley's voice came from out in the hall. George, Ginny, and Draco exchanged looks of panic. The door flew open and Mrs. Weasley came in looked livid. "I told you last night to take your trunk-" Her rant was cut short. "Fred! Oh goodness! They said you wouldn't be released from St. Mungo's until this afternoon!" she said in a voice of pure delight, wrapping a terrified Draco in an enthusiastic hug.

"W-wait… M-Mrs… I… um… I'm not… I'm not Fred…" Draco said, trembling awkwardly.

Mrs. Weasley backed out of the hug smiled at him endearingly. "You can't fool me with that anymore, Freddy," she said, lightly tugging at his ear.

"N-no…uh… really… I'm… uh… I'm-I'm Draco…" Draco gulped and backed away, his hands out defensively.

Mrs. Weasley's smile disappeared instantly and her head snapped over to George and Ginny who both looked rather frightened. One look at them and she was reaching for her wand.

"Stop. Stop, Mum!" George cried as Draco started backing even farther away. "_We_ did it. We gave him polyjuice potion." Mrs. Weasley stared at George through narrowed eyes, her face becoming dangerously red.

"H-he couldn't very well go to the memorial service as Draco Malfoy. They'd do 'im in," Ginny explained. "So we thought, uh…. If he was Fred… it… could… protect…him…" Ginny said, her voice becoming slower under her mother's fierce glare.

"So you thought you'd turn him into your brother?! You don't think that this could endanger your brother or anyone else?! What if he…?" Mrs. Weasley's voice trailed off and she stared at Draco, her body shaking with fury. A few seconds of silence followed. "Well, it's already done," she snapped finally. "But if anything happens because of this…" Her threatening look traveled from face to face and none of them needed her to finish her thought to get the idea. Her hands were shaking and she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Ginny, Draco, and George all let out large breaths that they didn't even realize they had been holding. "Damn, I guess we should have seen that coming…" George said, glancing over at Ginny.

"There go the brownie points I mentioned…" Ginny said.

"Fuck," Draco cursed, now feeling angry and frustrated. "What happens when Potter and Weasel see me like this?"

Ginny bit her lip. "Well, they won't be as bad as Mum. You've already dealt with the worst, but I think I should probably go talk to them. Maybe you should go tell Hermione now too."

"I'm taking the trunks downstairs," George announced. "I'm not ready to see the peak of her wrath." Draco nodded gravely. "Hey, if you're going to look like my brother you better act like him," George admonished. Draco nodded stiffly. "That's what I mean. Stop standing like a bloody statue. And you better know how to smile and crack a joke."

Draco glared at him, insulted by his attitude. "Two hags walk into a bar." Draco said flatly, obviously not intending to follow it with anything.

Ginny chuckled with amusement and George narrowed his eyes. "Well, he knows how to be a smart ass," Ginny laughed. "That'll do."

George then chuckled also. "It's a start."

"Go see Hermione," Ginny ordered.

"What if she and Weasel are still-?"

"Hermione's shouting scared him away several minutes ago," Ginny assured Draco. "I'll go see him and Harry. And can you try to start calling him Ron?"

Draco nodded and left the room, Ginny going in the opposite direction.

"Hey, George," Charlie called. Draco kept walking, not thinking anything of it. "George!" Draco looked around and realized that Charlie was addressing him. "Fred?!"

Before Draco could respond, he was pulled into a bone crushing hug. "Why didn't you-?"

"STOP!" Draco commanded pushing Charlie away and putting several paces between them. Charlie stared at him in confusion. "I'm not Fred. I'm Draco," he stated firmly, his hands out defensively again. Before Charlie could finish reaching for his wand, Draco continued. "George's idea!" he said, pointing toward George's room. "For protection."

Charlie turned around to look at George's room and saw George levitating two trunks in front of him.

"Don't kill the whelp," George said as though it were a trivial matter. "It'd be a perfectly good waste of polyjuice potion."

Seeing that Draco was telling the truth, Charlie nodded curtly and continued in the direction he was going, following George down the stairs. Draco heaved a great sigh and rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long day.

"Did someone say Fred's here?!" Hermione asked excitedly, sticking her head out of her doorway. "Fred!"

Draco groaned. This was going to be a _very_ long day.

* * *

**LoL. This chapter definitely took an unexpected turn. I usually have a vague plot line in my head when I start writing, but sometimes it goes astray... this chapter was never supposed to be here, just something to correct a flaw in my plot, and it got _really_ long... C'est la vie. At least I like it.**

**And to Little Miss Quantum - As I'm sure you are very aware, Fred is one of my absolute favorite characters. I will never let him die in my stories. And it would have hurt the Weasleys and everyone too badly to be able to deal with Draco. It's better this way. But it's always better when Fred's around if you ask me.  
**

**Hope you like it. Hopefully inspiration will keep flowing like it did today. **

**Please review. ^^**


	4. Respected

Draco swallowed hard as he stood stiff, staring up at the winged boars at the gates and the grounds and castle of his old school. The last time he had seen it was the night Dumbledore was murdered before his eyes and he fled with the death eaters to Malfoy Manor. The school was full of memories that he desperately wanted to forget. A small hand slipped into his large calloused fingers and he looked down at the petite girl with frizzy brown hair that had been pinned back neatly. He had always been taller than her, but in Fred Weasley's body, which was only two inches taller than his, he felt as though he towered over her.

George cleared his throat and tapped his wrist where he usually kept his watch. Draco looked down at the watch on his wrist and removed a bottle from the inside pocket of his robes. He took a large gulp of the thick orange potion and stowed it away. By the look of it he only had enough for two more doses of polyjuice potion, which meant only three more hours until he was himself again.

"Are you children coming?" called in irritation. "We're already running late. We have to hurry if we want to find seats together."

Everyone picked up the pace as they followed the bustling woman. "She's dreaming if she thinks we'll find seats together," Ginny whispered to the group, jogging along with Harry's hand in hers. "We'll be lucky if we don't all have to sit separately."

As they came to the top of the hill, Draco looked down on thousands of chairs, almost all of them filled, facing a large platform that overlooked the lake and Dumbledore's grave. Draco swallowed hard. There were even more people than he anticipated.

Hermione gave his hand another reassuring squeeze. When he had told her about George and Ginny's polyjuice plan, she seemed relieved. She too was nervous about Draco coming as himself, but was too afraid to say anything to him about it. She never intended to force him to come, she never even asked him. She had only assumed that he was determined to come and her statements about people accepting him there were just to make him feel better. Draco then felt rather foolish believing that she would be upset if he told her that he didn't want to attend. But this arrangement seemed to work for everyone.

It took them ages to make it through the aisle between the rows of chairs. Though most people had already been seated, many people left their seats in hopes of shaking Harry's hand. Draco and the rest of them also had their hands shook many times as they tried desperately to force their way through the masses. Draco's heart was pounding and he looked down anxiously at his freckled hand each time it was shook. He knew that everyone thought he was Fred Weasley, but he was terrified what might happen if the potion suddenly wore off. He was nervous arriving as himself before, but he now realized that his fear was not great enough.

"Smile," Charlie urged in a whisper as he came up next to Draco. He forced an uncomfortable sad looking smile, his forehead wrinkled in his anxiety.

"Fred!" a female voice cried just before a set of arms flew around Draco's neck. Draco became extremely tense and rigid. He looked down at Hermione who had let go of his hand, hoping that she wouldn't walk off. "I'm so glad you're alright!" the girl continued. Draco patted her awkwardly on the back in reply. Satisfied by his response, she pulled back to look him in the face and Draco saw that it was Angelina Johnson. "I was so worried about you. I thought you were still at St. Mungo's."

"Um, no. I'm doing alright…" Draco answered. "Um, how are you?"

"Well… You know… just kind of dealing," she said, her smile slipping away. "But I think that's how everyone is." Angelina looked over at the rest of the group and her smile returned. "Hermione!" she cried, pulling her into a crushing hug which Hermione returned fervently. Tears started gathering in both girls' eyes. "You have no idea how good it is to see you. When we all heard that you were… Everyone was so afraid that you'd been… Oh, it's great to see you," she repeated, hugging Hermione again. Both girls gave an uncomfortable chuckle as both of them had let loose their tears.

"Angelina," George greeted solemnly. Angelina moved on to Draco's current twin and Hermione grabbed hold of Draco's hand, pulling him through the crowd.

After another fifteen minutes of searching, Hermione and Draco found two seats for them in the center of one of the many rows. As Ginny had predicted, there were very few groups of seats and none of them accommodating more than five together.

The service seemed quite long. The new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt of the Order of the Phoenix, headed the service. All of the names of those who had died during the war at the hands of Voldemort or the death eaters were called. Also called were all the names of those who fought during the final battle. The Order of the Phoenix members were asked to stand and be recognized and Hermione's name was among them. She forced a smile through her great anxiety and embarrassment at the great roar of applause. Rather than look proud, she looked as though she might cry. Most people had known that she'd been captured and imprisoned by death eaters, but none had any idea just what she'd suffered. They treated her like a hero, and she could not think of herself in that way. Upon sitting, many people around them started clapping her on the shoulder and attempted to shake her hand. Draco wished he could tell them all off. Couldn't they see how hurt she was?

After recognizing the many people, Harry was called to the stage where he was asked to give a speech. Not a single sound was heard in the crowd from the moment his foot touched the stage until he stepped away from the podium. He looked extremely nervous and his speech was rather short, but Draco was surprised at just how well spoken Harry was. He inwardly cursed himself for being so moved by it. By the time the speech was over, there wasn't a dry eye anywhere on the grounds, including Draco's. Nearly everyone stood to applaud Harry, the savior of the world.

Draco checked his watch often. It had been just over two hours since the service had begun. He was out of polyjuice potion and was running out of time. The Weasley group met just outside the gates only minutes after the service was finished.

"How are you doing?" asked George meaningfully staring at Draco.

"Only forty-five minutes left…" Draco answered.

"You should be alright at the funeral," Mr. Weasley said. Draco was surprised as Mr. Weasley had never before spoken to him. "But we really must be going or we'll be late to that too." Charlie held out his hand to Draco as George took Hermione's. Only seconds later, Draco found himself standing in an unknown graveyard, standing in a small crowd surrounding two freshly dug graves with two caskets beside them. He quickly scanned the crowd and saw many members of the Order, a few students he went to school with, and finally his Aunt Andromeda holding her baby grandson.

Draco bowed his head in reverence. Of all of the deaths during the war, Professor Lupin's and Professor Dumbledore's were hardest for him. Both had shone great faith in him that he never felt he deserved. Both of them he greatly admired and respected. It was hard for him to accept that he would never be able to tell Lupin so, that he would never be able to thank him for saving his life.

If the memorial service at Hogwarts lasted longer than Draco expected, then the funeral service was much too short. Remus Lupin was an incredible man and Draco felt that he deserved much longer farewell. Immediately following the service, many more people came over to them, talking quietly and sharing many mournful hugs with the Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys. Never had Draco received such respect and kindness. It was during this time that Draco began to feel the potion wearing off. His skin began to tingle, becoming covered in goosebumps.

"'Mione… George…" Draco said apprehensively.

"Why don't you retreat to those trees while you change," George said hastily, nodding toward the group of trees just behind him. Draco nodded and practically ran for cover as his skin began to bubble. He felt Fred's shoes becoming loose on his feet, flopping as he ran. He held onto one of the trees for support as he felt himself become slightly shorter, his shoulders slimming and clothes becoming a little bit looser. He cringed as he felt his hair being pulled back into his scalp. His breaths became ragged and labored as his body became still. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths concentrating on the soft voices a few yards away.

"How are you holding up, Dennis?" Harry asked.

There was a pause before the boy answered. "I don't know… It's really hard… We buried him yesterday in our hometown. Mum and Dad are taking it really hard… They didn't want me to come today…"

"I'm so sorry, Dennis," Hermione said quietly.

"Yeah…" he replied quietly, followed by another pause. "But what about you, Hermione? How are you doing?"

"Well… you know… just doing the best I can, I guess…" Hermione answered so softly that Draco could hardly hear her.

Draco opened his eyes and looked around. Ginny nodded at him and he took an apprehensive step forward. At his small movement, Dennis Creevey's eyes fell upon him.

"Harry, look out!" Dennis shouted. Draco's eyes widened and he stepped back quickly. "_Stupefy_!"

"_Protego_!"

Draco was knocked back onto the ground by the force of the several shield charms cast in his direction. When he looked up, it looked as if all hell had broken loose. There was a lot of shouting and flashes of spells were flying from several wands in his direction, many other people running away in terror. Draco scrambled to his feet and just barely heard the shout '_Petrificus Totalus_' before his muscles locked in a body bind curse and he fell to the ground.

"Get him home!" Mr. Weasley's cry was heard above the others. Draco saw a flash of Charlie's face before a large hand seized his upper arm and the world pressed in around him. The next thing he knew, he was lying on a hardwood floor in the middle of a girl's room. Draco saw Charlie point his wand at his chest and his muscles fell loose.

"Are you alright?!" Charlie barked.

Draco was breathing hard, his eyes opened wide as he stared at Charlie's face in terror.

* * *

**Well... I had a really hard time with this chapter, which is why it came out rather rushed. But I really hope you still like it.**

**To all those who reviewed - Thank you! You really know how to make a girl feel loved and appreciated. ^^**

**I love to hear your opinions on how the different relationships are developing. Tell me who you're happy with and why. Tell me who really pissed you off and why. Your opinions do affect my future writing. So please review!**


	5. Revealed

"Are you alright?!" Charlie barked.

Draco laid on the hardwood floor of what was obviously a girl's bedroom staring at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and sat up, breathing hard, his eyes opened wide as he stared at Charlie's face in terror.

"Draco!"

Draco barely saw a flash of bushy brown hair before he was wrapped in a tight embrace. Slowly he wrapped an arm around Hermione and patted her back in comfort.

"George! Charlie!" Ginny screamed from somewhere below. Without a moment's hesitation Charlie and George bolted from the room.

"Draco, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" Hermione asked, pulling back to look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Yeah," Draco replied, his voice shaky and his face pale.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione repeated. "I should have asked someone to bring you here before the potion ever had a chance to wear off. No, I shouldn't have let you come at all!"

Draco looked at her confused and a little upset. "But you wanted me to come."

"Yes… but no. I mean…" Hermione took in a deep shaky breath, tears still gliding down her cheeks. "I always want to be with you… but I was so worried about you coming today. I wanted to say something to you about it, but you seemed so determined to come… But I was so frightened." At her last words, the tears fell faster.

"I did want to be there, but I went just for you," Draco said a little too fiercely.

Hermione shook her head in disapproval, trying to calm her sobs long enough to speak. "Don't do that," she reprimanded. "Don't do something you don't want to just because you think it will make me feel better."

"I'm alright," Draco said forcefully. She was crying because of him and it was killing him inside.

"I was so scared," she repeated, dabbing her sleeve against her runny nose.

"Stop. I'm alright," Draco practically growled.

Hermione wiped her eyes and cheeks dry and forced her breaths to become steady and even. She stared into his pale face, his jaw was clenched but his eyes still looked frightened. Suppressed emotion burst from her as she just couldn't hold it back. "But you might _not_ have been okay!" High on her knees she grabbed the sides of Draco's face and pulled him toward her, kissing the top of his head. Draco tilted his head up and looked into her eyes, overwhelmed by a feeling he couldn't understand. It was an odd mixture between gratitude and desperation. How was it that his feelings no longer made and sense to him?

Hermione stared into his shining grey eyes. He looked so lost, his eyes so pleading. Without a thought, her emotions taking over, Hermione's lips crashed against his with great passion. Draco stiffened in surprise, but just as quickly all his cares and troubles melted away, his shoulders relaxing from their rigid position as he returned her kiss with fervor. Draco wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her body closer to him as their lips moved together.

A loud gasp startled them both and Hermione quickly broke away from Draco, whipping around to face the door. Ginny stood in her bedroom doorway staring at the pair of them with her mouth gaping. Hermione and Draco, in stunned silence, returned her look of shock, no one moving a muscle. Coming to his senses, Draco scrambled to his feet and backed away from Ginny nervously. Ginny's eyes followed Draco's movement, then looked back down at Hermione's pleading eyes. Finally Ginny closed her mouth and swallowed.

"So… uh… Y-you're alright then…?" Ginny managed very slowly and awkwardly to Draco.

Draco nodded slowly, his face cold and stern while his eyes remained frightened. "Yeah… m'alright."

"Good…" Ginny breathed. She turned away from them slowly and began walking down the stairs, pale and blinking as though she'd been hit by a confundus charm. Hermione and Draco looked at one another, feeling rather confused and concerned themselves.

"Everyone downstairs now!" Mr. Weasley demanded in a voice much more powerful and intense than she'd ever heard from the man.

"We better get down there..." Hermione said quietly. She was still too shocked to know how to feel. So much had just transpired in the last seven minutes. She was just speaking to Dennis Creevey when he cast a spell at Draco. At the same time, Ginny, George and Harry had all cast shield charms to protect Draco. Then people started yelling in all directions. Many people casting spells while she and her friends tried to explain and defend the helpless boy. She had been shoved to the side and the next thing she knew, Draco was gone. George grabbed her by the arm, and before she knew what had happened, she was standing in Ginny's room. Then she spoke to Draco, no longer remembering what she had said before she kissed him. But it was the look on Ginny's face that stood out vividly among the other thoughts. Everything else had happened too quickly, but Ginny had stood there looking so shocked that it made Hermione feel that she had done something terribly wrong. _But I haven't..._

Draco walked over to her looking as though he were about to help her up but thought better of it. He just stood over her and waited as she got to her feet and they walked down the stairs together.

The entire group was crammed into the small area between the stairs and the front door. Everyone seemed to be taking inventory, each one scanning from face to face.

"Everyone's here?" Mr. Weasley asked, although it came out as more of a statement as he had already done a head count twice. "Draco!" He barked, when he spotted him among the group. "Are you alright?!"

Everyone looked at Draco who just nodded, still in a daze himself.

"And everyone else? No one hurt?" Mr. Weasley continued. Everyone looked around, nodding as it seemed that no one had been injured. "Ginny? You alright?"

All attention turned to Ginny who still looked rather vacant with shock. She nodded vehemently, finally returning from wherever her mind had taken her away to.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them, everyone lost in thought, no doubt replaying the events over and over.

"Alright..." said Mrs. Weasley, looking rather shaken. "We've had a very busy day already. I think it'd be a good idea if everyone went to their rooms to relax a little bit. Since we've already missed lunch, I think we're just going to have a large dinner around 3:00 or 3:30. I'll call you all down when it's ready." Mrs. Weasley paused taking a deep breath and patting her curly red hair to keep herself together and on the same train of thought. "Hermione, I set up your camp bed in Ginny's room. George, you'll have your room to yourself until Fred gets home. Charlie, You'll be in Percy's room. I moved the extra bed out of Percy's room and into Ron's, so that will be yours Harry. And there's a camp bed in Ron's room also for you, Draco," Mrs. Weasley informed, ticking off the rooms in the order of their floor level.

Draco looked over at Harry and Ron whose faces where solid and nearly unreadable. But Draco still got a feeling from their looks that they approved of the arrangement. _Probably arranged so they could keep an eye on me. Why else would they move a bed out of the room Charlie was staying in? I'd much rather have roomed there. They act like they're warming up, but then they still want to make me feel as unwelcome as possible. Maybe it was Harry and Ron's idea. _

"What about Percy?" Ginny asked. "Isn't he coming home now?"

"Where _is_ Percy?!" Mrs. Weasley panicked.

"It's alright, dear. He stayed behind with Andromeda," Mr. Weasley informed. "This was hard enough for her before all of this happened. Percy wanted to be there for support and to explain all of this to everyone. The story we're going with," he said to the group, "is that Draco was invited by Andromeda as Tonks was his cousin. Draco is under the protection of the Order of the Phoenix until his trial. It's best for now that people don't know where he's staying."

"Percy said he'd be going back to his flat after that," said Harry. "He'll meet you at St. Mungo's when you pick up Fred, Mr. Weasley."

"Thank you, Harry," Mr. Weasley said with a nod.

"Alright now," Mrs. Weasley said. "Everyone head upstairs and relax a bit."

The whole group, with exception of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, began trudging up the stairs. None of them felt much like resting, but none of them believed for a second that it was a suggestion. The order was given just to create a calm peaceful environment. They didn't have to lay down, just go to their rooms.

"Hey, George," said Charlie. "Feel up to a game of Wizard Chess in my room?"

"Nah," replied George as they left the girls outside of Ginny's room. "I've got some products I'm going to work on. You can help if you want."

"I think I'll pass," Charlie chuckled. George smirked and stopped outside the door on the second floor. Charlie continued up a very small curved flight of stairs across from George's door that presumably led to Percy's room. Draco stopped suddenly on the main staircase, Ron and Harry running into him.

"Not yet," said Harry. "We're on the fifth floor."

"No," said Draco. "I was just wondering if I might be able to help you, George," Draco said hopefully. He didn't care about helping George so much, but anything would be better than being stuck in a room alone with Harry and Ron for an hour or more.

George pursed his lips, considering Draco with a scrutinizing stare.

"I'm good at charms and potions," Draco offered calmly, working hard to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Alright," George agreed. "But if you see anything you shouldn't, I'm going to have to obliviate your memory," he said seriously.

Draco's stomach churned, but feeling the presence of Harry and Ron so close to him, he quickly agreed, "Fair enough."

Harry and Ron exchanged smirks. They knew exactly what Draco was trying to do, but they also knew that Draco had no idea what he had just signed up for.

***

Hermione entered Ginny's room and sat down on the side of her camp bed. It may not be as nice as the beds at Aunt Muriel's house, but she'd spent much time over the last few years sleeping on this camp bed and it was a great comfort, part of her second home.

Ginny followed Hermione into her room and closed the door. She stood there with her hand on the door knob staring pensively at the forlorn girl in front of her. Ginny slowly crossed the room and sat on the side of her own bed across from Hermione.

"Are you okay…?" Ginny asked, her voice full of concern.

"Yeah, I was just worried about Draco... that was really scary," Hermione said with a mirthless chuckle.

"I'm not talking about what just happened. I mean _you_ in general. I haven't really had a chance to sit down and talk to you since you... since you got back. I'm really worried about you... Are you- How are you?"

"Um, I'm doing okay," said Hermione said with a small smile. But just the question brought back an ache in her chest.

Ginny's look instantly turned to one of great annoyance. "That's a blatant lie if I ever heard one." Ginny mentally kicked herself for becoming so harsh and she softened again, getting up and sitting on the camp bed next to Hermione. "_Really_, are you alright?"

Hermione's lips turned into a frown that looked almost like a grimace and shook her head in response, giving her a chance to find her words without tears escaping with them. "No. No, I'm not…" Ginny waited patiently, leaning to get a better look at Hermione's face behind her frizzy curtain of hair. "As soon as I woke up and saw everyone, it all sort of felt like it was a bad dream. It was so… from here it just seems so surreal and impossible what happened. But at the same time, it was so real that it makes it feel like what I have now and the life I lived before are the parts that are dreams…" At this, she paused and chanced a small glance at Ginny. It was hard to talk about and she felt like anything she said might frighten her friend, or worse, her friend may think she's just overreacting. But Ginny looked calm and concerned, pensive and supportive. "No matter what I do, no matter how I try to put it behind me, it's always right there, just below the surface. Every time I sleep, I go there. Every time I close my eyes, I see it, see _them_. No matter how different this world seems, there's always something that becomes a constant reminder…" Hermione looked at Ginny again. It looked as if Ginny wanted to speak but was struggling with a way to say it. It was Hermione that now waited patiently.

"Hermione…" Ginny said slowly and apprehensively, choosing her words with care. "I know that you really care about Draco… but I'm a little concerned… D-do you think maybe it might be possible that him being here could actually be hurting you? With everything so raw, with everything so 'close to the surface,' don't you think it might be possible that he could be one of the things that reminds you?"

"No," Hermione answered soberly. "_Everything _is a reminder of it… Just moving makes me remember… _Breathing_ makes me remember…" she replied, her eyes distant. Ginny looked at her sadly, a deep frown tugging at the corners of her mouth and lining her forehead. "I feel it," Hermione continued, her lips starting to quiver. "Each time breathe, I can feel the scar on my chest." As she spoke her hand automatically found the place on her collarbone where her scar began. "Each time I bend, I feel the light scars on my back… And each time I walk, I can feel the scar on my thigh… _I'm_ a constant reminder, Ginny. If Draco's a reminder of anything, it's that I'm not alone."

"But you're _not_ alone," Ginny said earnestly. "You have all of us."

Hermione shook her head. "I know I have you, but it's not the same. No matter how any of you try to understand, you never will. But Draco does. Draco's a constant reminder of the strength that I had, a reminder that somewhere inside me that strength still exists," she pressed, staring hard into Ginny's eyes, willing her to at least understand this.

"He really cares about you," Ginny stated.

"I know," Hermione said with a small smile.

"And I know you care for him. But I really wonder… Are your feelings for one another only because of what you've been through? If so, it might come to hurt even more as healing actually becomes painful…" Ginny said slowly, still afraid of upsetting her friend.

"No," Hermione said quietly again. "I understand how you might think that, but that's not what it is. I probably would never have come to care for him if he weren't there with me, but what we have isn't just about feelings of comfort. We've come to know each other on a deep level, getting to see and know parts of ourselves and each other that no one else would or could ever find." Hermione paused again and looked at Ginny very seriously. "Ginny, I know Draco better than anyone in this entire world ever could. I see now how lost he was, how lost he _is_. He's struggled more than most, had so many things going against him, and still he found the courage to stand up against everything he's ever known. And he understands parts of me that I'll never even know myself. And even when he sees how flawed and damaged I am, he accepts me fully. Ginny… I didn't mean to, but I've fallen so deeply in love with him."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Ginny's mouth, but it was sad and fretful. "You talk of how wonderful he is, so then why do you act guilty in loving him? Because of how others will see it?"

"No. No one will ever truly understand what's passed between Draco and me. And I know he cares about me… but I'm afraid…" Hermione couldn't finish the sentence.

"You're afraid he doesn't love you?" Ginny pressed.

"That's just it… I think he does, but I think he's afraid to." Hermione bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to form.

"It's obvious how much he cares for you. How gentle he is when he touches you or talks to you. I think that if he's afraid of anything, it's of hurting you," Ginny offered. "And honestly, that's my fear too."

"Ginny, I know this must sound just like a shallow fleeting crush, but-"

"No. I don't. I know this runs much deeper than that," Ginny corrected. "But that's what scares me even more. If something goes wrong, it will tear you to pieces. This world is too unstable and you're just to fragile to be involved in such a complicated relationship right now…"

Hermione looked down as she fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. "I know… I didn't mean for it to happen. But getting to know him the way I have… He's not who everyone thinks he is… or thought he was. He was always so pressured. Always told he was superior but always made to feel inferior… Everyone judging him by his name before they even talk to him… And he always looks so cold and stern, but he's not at all like the mask he shows the world. I see below the mask…"

"I've seen below the mask also," Ginny said solemnly. "I'm not saying that I know who he is, because I really don't. But I've still caught glimpses of him. It's usually when he looks at you that his mask slips. He really does love you."

At Ginny's comforting assurance, Hermione became overwhelmed by her emotions and a spate of tears spilled down her cheeks. Ginny pulled Hermione to her in a tight embrace, joining her in tears. "Just be careful," Ginny warned.

"Stand back, Malfoy!" George yelled from the floor above. Ginny and Hermione's eyes widened and they stared up at the ceiling where Fred and George's bedroom was located. Hermione and Ginny reflexively cringed at the sound of a small explosion and a large thud on the floor.

"Draco's with George?!" Ginny cried. Following the thump, there was a great roar of laughter.

"I guess," Hermione said, nervously staring at the ceiling. "Well… they're _both_ laughing. So he should be okay, right? I mean, George wouldn't hurt him… would he?"

"No, I think he's alright. By the sound of it, Draco's just a replacement until Fred gets back," Ginny mused. "Remember, explosions from the twins room usually means that they're _not_ in trouble. It's when that room is quiet that you should worry." Hermione chuckled and continued to look at the ceiling. "So, what do you say we get out of these stuffy dress robes and into something more comfortable?"

"Sounds good," Hermione agreed. She'd never been one to dress up.

"You prefer blue jeans, right?" Ginny asked, digging through her clothes drawers.

"Uh, yeah, but since when have you gotten into muggle clothes?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I don't have many, but they've been becoming more popular over the years, especially this last year at Hogwarts," Ginny explained. "Muggle-borns have always worn them on weekends and have been catching on, but there weren't any muggle-borns at school this year so all those who support muggle-borns purposely started wearing muggle clothing. And not just on weekends. We couldn't wear them during the day, but most people changed into them for dinner time," Ginny said with a wicked smile. "And nothing is more muggle than blue jeans. Muggle clothes are now a sign of rebelling against the old beliefs of wizard supremacy, and the fashion has truly taken off," Ginny explained, tossing a pair of blue jeans at Hermione.

Hermione looked at the jeans in her hands and laughed. "Never before had I thought of blue jeans as being rebellious."

"It's the start of a new era," Ginny smiled.

Hermione laughed even harder. "Just as long as the older generations don't take to it. I don't think the world would ever feel the same if your parents started wearing muggle clothes."

"Oh, Dad would have long ago if Mum would let him. This is definitely a younger generation thing," Ginny assured, tossing Hermione a simple red V-neck shirt.

"So, enough about fashion. How are things going between you and Harry now?" Hermione asked, remembering how Harry had been holding her hand most of the day.

Ginny tried to hide her blush, but to no avail. "Recovering…"

Hermione lifted her eyebrows as to say 'keep talking'.

"Well, we haven't had much time together to talk. Things are still a little awkward between us. And to be perfectly honest, I still need him to feel bad for a little longer," Ginny admitted with her nose in the air. She turned around and began rummaging through her drawer again.

"Still really upset with him for breaking up with you?" Hermione asked.

"Breaking up? Not so much. Leaving me behind the way he did? Absolutely," Ginny said heatedly. "He says he trusts me and that he knows I can handle myself, but obviously didn't trust me enough to let me come with him."

"It's not that he didn't trust you; it's that he cared too much to put you in danger," Hermione explained.

"But you and Ron went," Ginny protested.

"We didn't give him a choice," Hermione corrected. "He knew that if he left without us, that we'd continue the mission without him. Not to mention, he needed us. Dumbledore knew he'd need us. That's why we were included in Dumbledore's will. He gave us tools to help us along the way and Harry couldn't dismiss that."

"That still doesn't make up for it. He could have included me in the mission as well," Ginny said.

"He was sorry he ever told me and Ron," Hermione insisted. "He wasn't about to endanger you too. I mean, he and Ron already blame themselves for my capture. What if you had been there too? One of us would have been dead the first day."

"I'm sorry…" Ginny said. Hermione was right; everything was a reminder.

"It's okay," Hermione said. And somehow it was. Somehow, it didn't hurt as much when she mentioned it this time… "Just don't be too hard on Harry. String him along a little if you must, but don't be _too_ hard on him."

Ginny chuckled, and looking at how thin Hermione was in her jeans now, tossed her a belt. "Alright."

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter posted, and my longest yet. ^^ I hope you liked it.**

**Thanks you so much to everyone who reviewed! You're the best! I love your opinions, keep 'em coming!  
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**And to anyone who has not yet reviewed. Remember: Reviews = Love. **


	6. Surprised

Another small explosion, followed by a thud, sounded from the ceiling above Hermione and Ginny's heads.

"They've been at it for more than an hour," Hermione noted. "You'd think that your mum would have had words with them already as we're supposed to be resting."

"'Resting' just meant relaxing. And to George, that is relaxing," Ginny chuckled. "But you're right. Mum would usually have had words with George by now, but she won't because she knows he really misses Fred. He could get away with just about anything right now."

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Just George, wasn't it?" Ginny replied.

"No, it came from outside," Hermione jumped up from her camp bed and rushed to the window overlooking the garden and the orchard. "It's Fred!"

Ginny rushed to the window. "Where?!"

"He was just there! I saw him," Hermione answered.

"Well let's go see him!" Ginny cried with excitement, rushing from the room. Out in the hall, Ginny pounded twice on the wall and shouted up the stairs, "Fred's home!"

The house was filled with a sound of a stampede as many feet thundered down several staircases. Hermione and Ginny arrived at the bottom first and saw Percy and Mr. Weasley standing by the door. Mrs. Weasley was next to them, and upon a second look, they saw a head of red hair over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder being squeezed in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're home! I missed you," she practically squealed with delight.

"Geez, Mum, you just saw me early this morning at the hospital," Fred groaned.

"Actually, she saw you just a couple of hours ago," George chuckled. Fred pulled back from his mother and looked at George curiously. Of course everyone else knew just what he was referring to.

Hermione turned around to look at him and saw that both George and Draco were covered head to toe in black ash, making it almost impossible to tell who they were. George rushed past the others and embraced his twin in a tight hug. Fred groaned in agony and George pulled back immediately in concern.

"Are you-? You jerk!" George shoved Fred in the shoulder after seeing the giant grin on his face. "Don't do that."

"So," Fred said with a chuckle. "Looks like you've been working on the 'Sneak Ash Trap'," he said, dusting the ash from George's hug off of his clothes. "How's it coming?"

"Not bad. Malfoy's been giving me a hand," George explained, giving a nod to Draco who, covered in ash, looked more like stone than ever. "I have to say, the snake's got talent."

"Ginny talent or worse?" Fred asked, giving Draco an appraising look.

"A little better actually," George admitted. "I mean, he's not us, but if had a bit of a personality, I might suggest we hire him."

"Shame…" Fred said in disappointment. Both Ginny and Draco glared at the twins, wondering whether or not to be insulted.

"It was a compliment," Hermione whispered to Ginny. Ginny nodded, lips pursed, still not liking to be used as a grading scale.

Hermione shrugged off the disgruntled pair and wrapped Fred in a warm hug. "I'm so glad you're alright," she said. "I was so worried about you."

"Me too," said Ginny, shrugging off his comment and giving Fred a hug. Hermione stepped to the side and found herself standing in front of Percy, a boy that she had not seen and several months, and certainly not under good terms.

"Hi, Hermione," he said tentatively. Ginny had explained to her how Percy had apologized to the family and fought alongside them at the last battle. She knew that everyone had put the past behind them, but it still felt a little awkward as it was the first time talking to him in years.

"Hi, Percy," she said warmly, extending her hand. "It's good to see you."

Percy accepted her handshake but suddenly pulled her into a one-armed hug. "I'm so glad you're alright. When I heard…" Percy couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, but there was no need to. Never had Hermione known just how much pain the words 'when I heard…' could hold. But over the past few days she'd heard them nearly a hundred times. And each time those words stole her mind away to the dark cellar chamber of her imprisonment.

"Oh, c'mon Percy. You're stealing the spotlight of my grand welcoming," Fred admonished playfully.

Never had Hermione felt so grateful for Fred's keen sense of comic timing. She had often wondered whether he and George were more perceptive than they let on, but now she was almost certain. Fred just saved her from falling back into despair and she had a feeling that he was quite aware of it. Percy shook his head and rolled his eyes, bowing as he took a step back, waving an arm in a grand gesture of giving the floor to Fred.

"You're right, Fred," George said. "Percy did grow a sense of humor. Still weak, but something to build on."

Fred chuckled as he hugged both Ron and Harry.

"So then, do I get a cake or something?" Fred asked hopefully.

"Oh! Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley cried, bustling off to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes. Everyone come in here and take a seat." The group began to move as one into the kitchen. "Oh dear, it looks like we've grown in size again. I think it'd be best to take dinner outside. Fred, George, please take the tables out to the garden. And no dueling with them!"

"Speaking of dueling tables, where's Charlie? He was supposed to be here for my grand welcome," Fred teased, his nose in the air.

"Oh, he wanted to be, love," Mrs. Weasley said seriously, as though she were talking to a five year old instead of her twenty year old son. "But as soon as we got home he received an owl calling him away on important business. He said he'd try to be home for dinner though. Now – the tables. No wait!" She fixed a hard disapproving stare on George and Draco and, with a swish of her wand, cleaned their robes and bodies of ash. "Now the tables. Percy, Ron, and Harry, the chairs please." Draco watched as everyone pulled out their wands and followed orders at Mrs. Weasley's command just like a small army. "Ginny, the plates – and no wand!" she reminded. "And Hermione and Draco, cutlery."

"Would you like me to help you finish with the meal?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yes, please," Mrs. Weasley smiled.

Draco followed Hermione over to the drawer where the cutlery was held and held out his hands to accept the silver as she counted out sets for eleven. Draco and Hermione exited into the garden with their hands full. Draco stared in wonder as the tables were both set, complete with table clothes, chairs placed neatly around and a plate in front of each. Helping to set the table must be a regular thing in this family as they did it so quickly and efficiently. Silverware in place, everyone took a seat and sat silently in excited anticipation. It'd been several hours since their rushed breakfast and they were famished.

The kitchen door opened and several platters of food floated through the air, landing neatly in the center of the table. All eyes were scanning the many dishes, several people licking their lips in impatience. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley took their places at the table and Mrs. Weasley looked proud at just how anticipated her meal was.

"Well, don't just stare at it. Everyone tuck in," she smiled.

No one needed telling twice. Draco sat back, shocked at the response. Never had he seen a family meal so unlike the ones he shared with his parents. Upon Mrs. Weasley's permission to begin the meal, every hand reached for a platter and began piling food onto their plates and passing the dishes around while simultaneously starting several different conversations. It was mass chaos to Draco, but somehow everyone else seemed to know exactly what was going on.

Dinners with his parents were always very quiet with just the three of them. Never would anyone else speak while another person was talking, There was never need to pass dishes as the house elves served them, and speaking with his mouth full would have had Draco sent to his room. To say the least, he felt quite out of his element.

"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Percy who was sitting at Draco's right, offering him a dish of potatoes. Hermione looked over at Draco, just now realizing how uncertain Draco looked.

"Um… yeah," Draco said, accepting the bowl of potatoes. "Thanks." Draco spooned some onto his plate and passed it to Hermione on his left. He looked back at Percy uneasily. Percy looked at him differently than the rest. Percy looked at him like he was just another person, a guest, a friend. Everyone else, even Ginny and George who seemed to be warming up to him the easiest, looked at him apprehensively. It almost seemed as if Percy didn't know who he was… but he did. Then it came to him. Percy was like him… at least a little. Percy had disowned the Weasleys, fighting on a different side of the war as them. But Percy changed. Percy knew what it felt like to recognize that he was on a side that he didn't want to be. Percy saw his mistakes and repented, coming to the Weasleys as a humble man, hoping to be forgiven his wrongs and to be accepted among them… just like him. Percy knew what Draco felt, that was why it was so easy to accept him. Draco felt a sudden surge of respect and gratitude toward Percy. Draco accepted the next dish from him with a smile and a nod.

"Oh, Merlin, this is fantastic!" Fred said dramatically through a large mouthful.

"What? They didn't feed you at St. Mungo's?" Ginny teased.

"Not like this," Fred said, taking another large bite. After taking a second to chew, he continued. "Merlin, it's great to be out of there! I hated being locked up like that!"

"You know," said Percy. "They wouldn't have had to strap you to the bed so often if you would have just stayed there."

"I don't even think it was him being out of bed so much as messing with the healers' supplies," said Ginny.

"Is it true you made a Christmas tree out of Styrofoam cups and gauze?" asked Ron.

"You have no idea how boring it was in there!" Fred defended vehemently.

"I think it was the smoke bomb that he made from the potions that really got him in trouble," laughed George.

"That was to purposely get in trouble," Fred admitted. "And it worked. After the smoke cleared, they strapped me down again, but then they gave me a strong sleeping potion that knocked me out for several hours. Sleeping was the easiest way to pass the time."

Hermione's stomach did a little flop. Sleeping was how she coped when she was imprisoned. She forced her memories aside and focused on Fred and his return.

"You should have seen him dancing when we came to pick him up," chuckled Mr. Weasley.

"I'm telling you, you have no idea how good it feels to be out of there. I was ready to scream and rip my hair out if it took any longer for you to finish with those release forms," Fred laughed.

"I saw you doing a victory lap around the house when you got back," giggled Hermione.

"Sounds like a serious case of cabin fever to me," said Harry. "And boy am I familiar with that." Harry, no doubt, was remembering the times the Dursleys had put him under house arrest.

"'Cabin Fever?'" Mrs. Weasley asked, concerned by this ailment that she had never heard of.

"Oh, no, Mrs W- … Molly. Cabin Fever is just a muggle term to describe when a person becomes anxious and a little loony from being stuck in a confined area for… a long… period of…time…" Hermione's explanation started normally, but by the time she was finished she was hardly there anymore, lost far in her thoughts and memories. Feelings of anxiety and despair that she had felt when held in the tiny dark cell flooded back to her. She didn't even notice how quiet the table had gotten, or felt any of the eyes on her. A consoling hand found her leg, and Hermione was startled back into the bright garden.

"If that's what cabin fever is, I think Fred was born with it," Ginny chided. "He gets weird if stuck in one place for twenty minutes."

"No," Harry disagreed. "That's what muggles call Attention Deficit Disorder."

Hermione joined in Harry's laughter while the others look confused which only caused Hermione and Harry to laugh harder.

"Okay, I've had quite enough of everyone laughing at my expense, thank you very much," Fred said with a smirk. But even Draco knew that Fred was eating up the attention.

"Anyone going to tell me the joke, or am I just going to have to wait for the next one?" Charlie said by way of greeting as he approached the table. "Hey, Fred. Glad to see you're looking alright." Charlie walked up behind Fred and gave him an awkward one-armed hug as Fred remained seated.

"Glad you finally decided to show," Fred chided.

"Well, as I'm sure Mum and Dad told you, I had some business to attend to," he said with a great smile that he could barely contain. It was obvious that he had some brilliant news to share. "And it seems that some great surprises have come from it."

"Well, spit it out!" Ron insisted. He was never a patient person when it came to surprises.

"Hermione…" Charlie said. But instead of saying anything further, he reached into a pocket on the inside of his robes and presented a light-stained wand. Hermione gasped and covered her mouth in shock. "It is yours, isn't it? Vine wood, 10 ¾ inches, Dragon Heartstring core?" Charlie asked with an almost cocky grin, knowing quite well that it was Hermione's.

Hermione was almost in tears as she accepted her wand. "But- but how did you…?"

"Draco…?" Charlie asked.

Draco had been smiling as he watched Hermione's response, but when he looked up at Charlie, his own mouth dropped open in shock. Draco looked at the familiar wand in Charlie's hand and his heart skipped a beat. He could hardly breathe. He looked around the table, as though asking if this could be real. Everyone was smiling at his reaction, all but two, anyway. Harry and Ron looked less than pleased, to say the least, but sat in silence. Draco looked back up at Charlie, still too shocked to speak or move.

"You do want it, right?" Charlie asked in confusion. "I mean, it is yours, right? Hawthorn, Unicorn Hair, 10 inches, 'reasonably springy' I'm told…"

"Yeah," said Draco, taking the wand. He smiled on it as though reunited with a long lost friend. Closing his eyes, he felt a warm tingling sensation of power in his palm as he held it. He opened his eyes and looked up at Charlie curiously. "How did you know? Where did you get it?"

Charlie's proud grin returned. "During the clean up at Hogwarts, many wands were found. Some scattered from being disarmed, others found on unconscious people, some in the possession of death eaters, and some turned in by our side. There were quite a few death eaters with more than one wand. Anyway, we gathered them all up and I took them all to Ollivander to identify them. No one knows how he remembers each one he's sold, but he does. He just finished them all this afternoon and I was really excited when I found these two," Charlie explained.

"Oh, Charlie, thank you!" Hermione cried, leaping from her seat and wrapping Charlie in an enthusiastic hug.

Charlie chuckled. "Well, give it a wave," he ordered in a good impression of Mr. Ollivander.

Hermione grinned broadly, absolutely beaming. "_Expecto Patronum_" A glowing silvery spectral form burst from the tip of her wand. Hermione and a few others gasped as the corporeal patronus took the form of a badger and gamboled a circle above the heads of the diners.

"You did it," said Harry proudly. "You found your happy thought." This meant a lot more to the family than any other successful spell. This was a sign of healing. To cast a proper patronus one must feed upon a powerful positive feeling.

"This is my happy thought," she said, smiling at her wand. "I thought it was gone forever."

"It's not an otter..." said Fred. "Yours was an otter in D.A."

"A fat skunk?" asked Ron.

"No, it's a raccoon, you idiot," scoffed George.

"A Badger?" Hermione and Mr. Weasley said together, glancing at one another in surprise. _A badger?_ Hermione let the idea sink in, considering the animal for a moment and looked down at Draco curiously, her patronus fading as she did.

"Charlie…" Draco started apprehensively, staring at the ground. "My father took my wand… Is he-?" Draco paused as he tried to find the right words, but the right words didn't come so he let them burst bluntly and callously from his lips. "Is he dead or in prison?"

"I-uh…" Charlie was taken off guard by this question, and stood there gaping uncertainly. "Um… I don't- I don't know…"

"Know one really knows, Draco," Mr. Weasley said softly. "There are only a small, very small, handful of people who know the status of the death eaters right now. The ministry is waiting until they can get a good count and status on them before they reveal any information."

Draco simply nodded in response and turned back to Charlie. "Thank you."

"Yeah," said Charlie, still looking at Draco as if trying to read him.

"Best sit down and start eating, Charlie," Mrs. Weasley advised. "Your food's going to get cold, and it's nearly time for afters. You know I can never regulate servings; first come, first serve."

Charlie quickly sat at his place and found that his siblings had already loaded his plate for him.

"Now Hermione…" Mrs. Weasley said tentatively. "I've been putting off asking because I don't want to upset you… but I do really need to know… have you given any thought to when you're going to be retrieving your parents?..."

Draco's head snapped over to Hermione looking utterly confused as a hush fell over the table. Hermione's eyes fell and her head tilted down slowly until her chin almost touched her chest. She spoke so quietly that everyone had to strain their ears to hear her. "I-I've thought about it… but I really don't know when… it's just not time yet. I-I want things to be more stable… and I don't want them coming back to see me like... like… like I am…" Hermione's eyes began to sting so she closed them tight, but she felt her nose begin to water and she sniffled.

"Oh, Hermione, it's fine. I'm so sorry for bringing it up. I wouldn't have, but the Order… I'm sorry. You're welcome to stay as long as you need," Mrs. Weasley said gently, laying a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "And I won't ask again. Whenever you feel the time is near, you just let us know."

Hermione sniffed again and nodded her head. "I'm sorry," she said, looking up at the table apologetically. "I just get… It's just…" Hermione tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come and her tears were beginning to gather.

"It's okay, dear. We understand," Mrs. Weasley said with a deep sympathetic frown.

"I'm sorry, but may I be excused?" Hermione asked, her first tear escaping.

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley said. Hermione practically jumped from her seat and jogged into the house.

Draco's eyes immediately sought out Ginny. She sighed and nodded at Draco's unasked question.

"Mum, can Draco and I be excused as well?" Ginny asked.

"But what about dessert?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Maybe later?" Ginny requested.

"I think she would really be better off alone right now," Mrs. Weasley said, getting to the point.

"We were going to give her space. I just need to talk to Draco for a minute," Ginny responded just as frank.

"Alright then," she said. "Everyone save a piece of cake for Ginny, Draco, and Hermione. If there are not three fair pieces left, anyone accused of having second helpings will not receive dessert tomorrow."

Draco smiled. It was obvious that Mrs. Weasley was very experienced at mothering. Draco nodded in gratitude and bowed himself from the table following Ginny around the side of the house. Ginny stopped near the garage in the front yard and took a seat on a large upright log that was soon to be made into firewood and gestured toward another for Draco. Draco sat down, staring at the building next to them. As they had apparated directly into the Burrow, Draco had never seen the front yard.

"What is this building?" he asked, curiously.

"It's a garage," said Ginny with a chuckle. "Of all the people at Hogwarts who should have taken Muggle Studies, it probably would have done you the most good."

"Yeah, well that wouldn't have gone over very well in my family now would it?" Draco replied.

"Yeah, guess not," chuckled Ginny. Draco now looked at Ginny curiously. It was odd to him how easy it was to talk to her. If anyone else had suggested such things he would have been terribly insulted. But then she seemed a lot like him. Ginny wasn't one to beat around the bush. She was very blunt when it came to expressing her thoughts, but at the same time she was a very skilled speaker if she wanted to be, especially when it came to manipulation.

"You know, you would have done well in Slytherin," Draco said. As soon as the words left his mouth he mentally kicked himself. He hadn't meant to say that aloud. Such things would sound like an insult to a Weasley. But Ginny just smirked.

"And why do you say that?" Ginny asked.

Draco took a deep breath. That was certainly a loaded question. "Speaking is an art and you're quite skilled at it. I don't pretend to know you well, but your qualities speak loudly to someone who's mastered their play. You're ambitious but secretive. You hide well behind your innocent little girl act, and you do it so well that people don't realize how rude you are even when you're so blunt. This also makes you a skilled liar and manipulator."

"You are surprising," said Ginny with a smirk. "But that goes two ways you know. You would have also made a fair Gryffindor."

Draco's eyes narrowed and he suddenly understood what Ginny must have felt when he told her she'd do well in Slytherin.

"And that's such an insult, is it?" Ginny asked. "You thought it a compliment to say that you saw qualities you appreciate in me. Why be insulted when I see qualities that I value in you?" Ginny challenged. Draco considered her and his face softened. "You're braver than I think you realize. You stood up against Voldemort's orders twice. You've shown great courage, chivalry, daring, and nerve, not only in this war, but over the years. The qualities of Gryffindor that the sorting hat never speaks of are a strong sense of morality and absolute stubbornness. But those are never mentioned because those can be considered our less desirable traits as the combination causes people to be rather arrogant. If a Gryffindor thinks that something is right or wrong, it's hard to convince them otherwise. And you happen to have those qualities as well," Ginny explained.

"Fair enough," Draco said.

Ginny chuckled again. "It seems to me that the reason Slytherin and Gryffindor are such rivals is because they're so much alike. Both are extremely proud and arrogant. And people that are proud and arrogant but have opposite opinions are bound to be adversaries."

"Maybe the sorting hat was right then; maybe students shouldn't have been sorted and labeled." Both of them nodded uncomfortably. "But back to my question. What is a 'garage?'"

"It's a place where muggles park their cars. That's where Dad kept the flying car before Ron crashed it into the whomping willow. It's where Dad stores all of his muggle 'treasures.'"

"I might like to see that…" Draco said with interest. "But wait. That's not what we came to talk about," he said, becoming very serious.

"Hermione didn't tell you about her parents…" Ginny said, having come to this conclusion by Draco's expression at dinner.

"No, she didn't. Well, she told me about them, but whenever she did she made it seem like… like they were gone. I mean, like dead," Draco said, feeling a little angry toward Hermione, feeling like she had allowed him to come to that conclusion.

"Well, they are gone, but not dead," Ginny replied. "It's really hard for her to talk about. Really hard for her to even think about, obviously. See… After Dumbledore's funeral, Hermione knew that she would have to disappear and that the war was going to get much more serious… so as soon as the funeral was finished, Hermione went home and altered her parents' memories, without even telling anyone about it," Ginny said, still shocked by Hermione's boldness. "She did it to protect them. They don't know that they ever had a daughter… They don't know that she ever even existed… She made them think that they were someone else and had them move to Australia. She sold or destroyed almost everything they owned. And now that her things were lost… the only thing she has left is a small stack of photographs that she left in my room."

"They don't know she ever existed? She did that herself?!" Draco said incredulously.

"Again, Gryffindor's sense of morality and stubbornness." Ginny said. "She thought it was for the best…"

"But what if she can't undo it?" Draco asked furious and desperate.

"We're hoping she can… But if not, I'm sure we can find someone at the ministry that's skilled in memory charms to see what they can do," Ginny offered. Draco took a few minutes to think over all the information he had just taken in and Ginny watched him patiently.

"So she's afraid to bring them back," Draco deduced.

Ginny nodded. "That's what I think."

"Afraid they won't remember. Afraid they'll be angry or hurt by her actions. Afraid that they'll be hurt by what she suffered or that she'll be so different that they won't recognize her as their daughter anymore…" Draco said.

"You're more perceptive than I thought. She is right. You do know her better than anyone," Ginny looking down at her tennis shoes. Draco gave a small sad smile. He did know Hermione well, but it hurt to know just how deep her suffering went.

"We should probably get back inside and check on her," Draco suggested.

Ginny nodded and led Draco into the house.

* * *

**Wow, and I thought the last chapter was long. I think this is my longest ever. ^^**

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	7. Humbled

Harry grumbled in frustration and wrapped his pillow around his head to cover his ears. Ron grumpily tossed himself onto his side, but still uncomfortable, rolled moodily onto the other. Harry lifted his head a couple inches off the bed to look at the blond on the camp bed.

Ron's room, which always felt rather comfortable, now felt cramped as most of the floor was dedicated to their beds. Draco's camp bed ran parallel to Harry's bed, but in the opposite direction, the foot of it meeting Ron's bed in a T formation. Harry rolled onto his stomach and brought his pillow down over the back of his head, burying his face in the mattress. "Ugh, I changed my mind. We should have let him room with Charlie," he mumbled almost incoherently into the bed.

Ron, having had enough, sat up in bed and stared angrily at Draco. The blond boy was groaning and occasionally mumbling in his sleep, his muscles twitching erratically. "Merlin, shut up," he grumbled.

"Stop..." Draco muttered in his sleep.

"Exactly! Stop," Ron picked up his pillow and chucked it at Draco's head.

Draco gasp awake and sat up in bed, breathing heavily. He looked around through the dark in confusion. He saw Harry's figure with his head still buried and Ron sitting up in bed. Even through the dark he could make out Ron's scowl. Actually taking comfort in his surroundings Draco let out a large slow breath and wiped the cold sweat from his head and neck

"Thank you," Ron said sarcastically. "Maybe now we can get some sleep."

Draco looked down at the pillow in his lap and sneered at Ron. It was obvious now what had happened. "Thanks," he replied, fluffing Ron's pillow and placing it on top of his own before rolling onto his side and getting comfy.

"Hey, give it back!" Ron growled. "Now that you've finally shut up, I'd like to try to get some sleep."

Draco felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew he'd had a nightmare, but he didn't know that it was keeping the other boys awake. Of anyone that could see him in such a state of weakness and fear, Harry and Ron were the ones he wanted to hide it from most. He refused to look weak in front of them. He felt angry and embarrassed and absolutely disgusted with himself. Not wanting to discuss it any further, Draco picked up Ron's pillow and whipped it at the ill-tempered red-head. "Couldn't possibly be worse than your snoring," he shot back.

"Don't bet on it. Harry can sleep through my snoring," Ron said pathetically.

"Years of practice," Harry grumbled, turning onto his back and plopping his head onto the pillow. "Now if you would both please shut up, I'd really like to go to sleep."

Draco, still feeling salty, rolled moodily onto his side. That dream had really shook him up and we was starting to desperately wish that Hermione was with him. He was wondering how she was sleeping without him. His brain kept telling how pathetic and needy he appeared when he felt like that, reminding himself how he never had a problem sleeping alone before, that he was now a grown man and was acting like Hermione was a teddy bear or baby blanket. But no matter how he admonished himself for it, he still ached for her presence.

Draco suddenly sprang up in bed and stared at the door. Startled by the movement, Harry and Ron rolled over to look at him. "Ugh, what now?" Ron grumbled.

"Shh," Draco said shortly, bringing a finger to his lips. Harry and Ron stared at him and Draco leapt from the bed and was halfway down the first staircase before the two boys realized what just happened.

"What's going on?" Ron said quickly.

"I don't know," Harry said as he rolled out of bed, grabbing his wand off the bedside table and stumbling over Draco's cot, racing down the stairs after him.

Draco raced down flight after flight of stairs, taking the steps two and three at a time until he came across two boys standing outside Ginny's open door with their wands lit.

"Who screamed? What happened?" Fred asked hurriedly.

Draco stepped behind the twins, peering through their shoulders at Hermione who was sitting up in bed, breathing heavily with a pained look on her face.

"Hermione just had a nightmare," Ginny explained.

"You okay, Hermione?" George asked.

Hermione finally looked up at the boys and he eyes fell directly on Draco. "Draco," she breathed.

Draco pushed through the twins and sat down on the side of Hermione's cot, taking her hand in his own. No sooner did he do this than Harry and Ron burst into the room. Harry grabbed Draco roughly by the back collar of his pajama top and pulled him off the bed. "What happened?! What'd he do?"

Ginny, Hermione, and the boys looked at Harry in shock. "I didn't do anything," Draco growled, glaring over his shoulder at Harry.

"Hermione just had a nightmare," Fred replied.

"Is that what the scream was about?" Charlie asked. Everyone turned to him in surprise, not seeing his arrival.

"Scream? What scream?" Ron asked in confusion.

"Hermione screamed," said Draco. "You probably didn't hear it because you were too busy grumbling about me." Draco forcefully jerked his shoulder back, shaking Harry's hand off of his shirt, glaring over his shoulder again.

"Yeah, well obviously Mum and Dad didn't hear it either. But they will wake up if you boys don't put a sock in it," Ginny scolded. "Everything's obviously okay, so you can all go back to bed now."

The boys all nodded, Fred and George disappearing first with Charlie right behind them. Harry and Ron started for the door but stopped when they saw that Draco hadn't moved. "Come on," Harry said quietly.

"Just give me a minute," Draco requested calmly. Ron and Harry looked as if they were fishing for a reasonable protest but weren't given the chance as Ginny spoke before them.

"He just asked for a minute. He'll be up in a second," Ginny replied.

Harry nodded and grabbed Ron's elbow, coaxing him from the room. As soon as they had left, Draco sat on the side of Hermione's bed again. Hermione's head instantly found his shoulder and he placed a hand on her back.

"I can't do this," she whispered to Draco. "I can't sleep without you here."

Ginny looked around uncomfortably, feeling like she was intruding just by being there. She tried not to hear their hushed conversation, but couldn't help overhear without sticking her fingers in her ears so she just bit her lip and looked away, gripping the side of her bed.

"I know," Draco whispered in return. "But you know I can't stay here. It's just a couple more hours before we wake. I'll just be upstairs. And Ginny's here for you," he added with a glance at her.

Ginny nodded. "Of course."

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes sad. "I know... I'm sorry."

"No. No sorry," Draco said, kissing her forehead. "You'll be alright. Just try to think on what we'll do tomorrow. Happy thoughts like your Peter Pan."

Hermione smiled and chuckled, remembering when she shared the story of Peter Pan with him the day before. Ginny looked at them curiously, but was pleased to see Hermione smile.

"Good night," he said, giving her another kiss on the head. He looked over at Ginny, still feeling uneasy acting like this in front of the girl. He was never very good at expressing himself in front of others, and Hermione had been the only person to ever see this private tender side of him. It made him feel vulnerable, but Ginny looked more than approving. Draco gave her a curt nod and Ginny gave him a lopsided smile and nodded in return.

Draco turned quietly and made his way up the dark staircase to the fifth floor where Harry and Ron sat on their beds waiting for him. Draco took a deep breath, avoiding looking at either of them and climbed in bed. If he felt insecure showing his tenderness in front Ginny, he felt even more vulnerable with Harry and Ron even suspecting he may have a soft side. "Goodnight," he said, laying his head on the pillow, facing away from them. He knew that they were still looking at him and he desperately wished he knew what they were thinking. A few more seconds passed in silence before Draco heard them lay down in their beds. He couldn't sleep after that, but laid there listening as Ron's loud snores filled the room.

_What kind of life am I living? I don't recognize myself or any part of my life anymore._ He sighed to himself. _I guess it's better to be lost than trapped..._

* * *

Hermione had an extremely difficult time getting back to sleep, but she eventually did. But even then, she didn't sleep much longer. When she woke, the room was light with the rising sun. Hermione sat up in bed and looked over at Ginny who looked to be sleeping like a rock, her mouth wide open. Hermione chuckled silently to herself and got off of her bed. It may be morning, but it would still be at least an hour before the early rising Weasleys would be up. Just as she finished her thought, the smell of ham, eggs, and coffee reached her. That could only mean that Mrs. Weasley was already awake. It must be a little later than she thought. She walked over to Ginny's bedside table and picked up Ginny's watch. It was nearly seven o'clock, so it wasn't too early for Mrs. Weasley, but still earlier than the woman was normally up. Hermione set the watch back down and saw a movement out the window. Her eyes widened when she saw that Draco was standing out in the garden.

Quickly and quietly, Hermione snuck into Ginny's chest of drawers and helped herself to Ginny's clothes, knowing that Ginny would rather her borrow without asking than to wake her for it. As soon as she was dressed, she hurried downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Oh, Good morning, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley spoke quietly in the silent house. "What are you doing awake?"

"I couldn't sleep. But what about you? It's awfully early for breakfast..."

"Oh, I woke when I heard Draco coming downstairs. I'm quite a light sleeper," Mrs. Weasley said.

As soon as the woman's head was turned, Hermione chuckled to herself. Mrs. Weasley was actually a rather heavy sleeper, as was proved when the rest of the house had woken to her scream last night, but Mrs. Weasley slept through it. Also the time that Fred, George, and Ron snuck out and stole the flying Ford Anglia. Perhaps she was having problems sleeping as well, though. The war had not been easy on any of them.

"What time did you and Draco get up then?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, just a few minutes ago. I hope we didn't wake you as well," she said. "He's out in the garden now."

"Thanks," replied Hermione. She walked to the back door and out into the Garden where Draco stood beneath an apple tree. "What are you doing?" she laughed.

Draco turned around surprised by his sudden company. "What does it look like?" he said rather irritably, reaching up on his tiptoes for a bright red apple.

"Picking apples, I suppose. But what for?" Hermione asked, undeterred by his tone.

Draco made a little jump and finally got the apple he was reaching for, carefully placing it in a basket at his feet. "I asked Mrs. Weasley if I could help her with breakfast. She declined but said she would make some apple crumble tonight if I picked the apples."

Hermione gave a funny smile. It was strange to imagine such an exchange between the two. Of all the Weasleys, Mrs. Weasley seemed the least like Draco. It felt like they were from such different worlds that it was hard to imagine them ever speaking at all, let alone discussing meal plans together.

"Even after seven years in the Wizarding world, I'm still not used to magic sometimes. Ripe apples in the spring..." Hermione chuckled, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Well, without magic, apple trees only produce fruit once a year, usually in the fall. Not all year round," Hermione explained. "And why don't you just use your wand?" she added when Draco gave another small jump to reach another apple.

Draco turned a fierce glare on her and she stepped back in surprise. Draco had assumed she was taunting him, but at her reaction he calmed back to his mild irritation. "Obviously you don't remember Potter's conditions. If I even _think_ of harming a single person, cast a spell, wand or not, ect. ect. then he tosses me out on ear."

"I didn't forget. But that was days ago. Things have changed," Hermione said. At Draco's skeptical look, she continued. "And if Harry has a problem with it, then I'll get the family to back me up. Ginny will put Harry in his place if it comes to it," she smirked.

"Potter's got a thing for her, huh?" Draco chuckled.

"Yeah," Hermione smiled. "So go on then. Test out your wand. Show me something impressive," she ordered in her signature cocky bossy tone.

"Impressive, huh?" Draco chuckled. "The brightest with of the age expects me to impress her with my spellwork. That's an awfully tall order, don't you think?"

"You're second in our class, so don't act like you're not talented yourself. You certainly impressed me with your wandless magic," she said.

"That was a fluke. I still don't know how I managed it," Draco admitted.

"It wasn't a fluke. You've repeated that spell a few times," Hermione reminded. "You're very talented."

"Hmmm," Draco pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes in thought. He loved a challenge but he hated nothing more than being humiliated. "Something impressive…" A light sparked in his eyes and a large smirk grew on his face. "Alright," he said, pulling his wand out of the same robes he wore the day before. Draco looked at Hermione and lifted his eyebrows playfully. Draco raised his wand in a wide arc, a ribbon of water, flowing from its tip formed a large circle. Draco arched his wand in the opposite direction and the circle began to spin like a top, joined by an identical ribbon that crossed it in a sphere like formation, the ribbons of water constantly moving. With a small swish of Draco's wand the ribbons divided in two, making the shape become a more complete sphere. Draco repeated this movement, looking like an orchestra conductor, until the water had become a complete hollow sphere. Draco jabbed his wand in its direction twice, two ribbons bursting from the shape, creating rings around it like a planet. Hermione's mouth hung open as her eyes followed the water's elegant dance. The rings began to tighten, shrinking the hollow circle into a small solid ball, the water firming as it condensed, turning into a solid globe of ice the size of a grapefruit. Draco glanced up at Hermione, and bit his lip with a cocky sort of pride. Draco placed his left hand below the ball of ice and, with his right hand, his wand made a hard slashing movement. Hermione jumped as the ice shattered into millions of tiny pieces and rained down to the ground. She looked up at Draco and saw that in his hand stood a perfect glass-like ice sculpture of a Welsh Dragon. Hermione's face brightened with a smile of amazement.

"Wow…" Hermione breathed.

"So I guess I can impress the Great Hermione Granger," Draco mused.

Hermione chuckled, still dazed and impressed as she stared at the figure. "That was absolutely incredible… Where did you learn that?"

Draco snorted with amusement. "Here," He said, handing the dragon to Hermione. "For you."

"I wish I could keep it," Hermione said, examining the tiny details closely as it began to melt on her palm.

Draco snorted. "It's not _that_ impressive."

"But it is," said Hermione. Pulling out her wand, she cast a permanent freezing spell and an unbreakable spell upon it. Draco smiled proudly, extremely touched by this.

"Really, it's not," Draco assured. "I'd love for you to go on believing that, but I refuse to take credit unless I deserve it. It was all theatrics. A water spell and a levitation spell. Any third year could pull it off with a little practice. Then you just toss a freezing spell on it. The hardest part is a special kind of severing spell. If you can see an image, you can make it. Works on practically anything. Like I said, it's all theatrics," Draco explained.

"A combination of skill and art, impressive no matter how you look at it," Hermione replied, turning the tiny dragon around in her fingers to see it from all sides. "A dragon for you namesake?"

Draco just blushed in response to her question. "Speaking of impressive, what was that spell you cast yesterday that had everyone talking?" Draco asked.

"The patronus? You mean you've never seen one before?" she asked in surprise.

"Well, I've seen one, Potter's. But it was rather frightening at the time and I didn't know what it was," Draco said.

Hermione smiled as she remembered the quidditch match in their third year when Draco dressed up like a dementor to scare Harry and Harry sent his stag patronus at him. It served Draco right too.

"Well, the family may have looked impressed, but not for the reason you think. Every one of them can cast one too. It just has great meaning to them. They were happy to see that I was strong enough, well enough, to cast one. But I think the change in its form concerned them at the same time," Hermione stated.

Draco looked at her in confusion. "Why what does that mean?"

"That I've changed."

"I don't understand. I don't even know what it is," said Draco, his brow creased with concern and frustration. He didn't like feeling ignorant, especially when it seemed that everyone else understood.

"Sorry," Hermione apologized. "The Patronus Charm _is_ a rather advanced spell. It's one of the hardest for me, but that's because it takes great concentration on a very powerful positive memory. Harry taught it to the D.A. in our fifth year. I can cast it when I'm in the right mood, but it's still hard for me and I can't ever cast it when in a pressured situation. It's like a protector. It can destroy or force away dementors, act as a messenger, or even help protect against other enemies by acting as a distraction. It's like a projection of one's positive feelings and it takes the form of a person's personality or happiness in the shape of an animal that matches that personality. Harry's is a stag like his father's. Fred's is a fox because he's sly and clever. A horse personality fits Ginny to a T – strong, confident, elegant, sharp-minded, and insightful. Others don't make as much sense… like Ron's terrier. Surely there's a reason but no one knows it."

"And yours is a badger?" Draco asked.

"Mine was an otter. This was the first time that it was something different…" Hermione said thoughtfully with a little concern. "Try it."

"What?" Draco asked.

"You can do it. I want to see yours," Hermione pressed. "Just think on a very powerful, positive memory or thought and recite '_expecto patronum_'."

"Hermione, if you have a hard time with it, there's no way that I can," protested Draco.

"If Ron can, then anyone can," Hermione argued. "You're stronger than me when it comes to focusing your emotions and I already told you that I know you're extremely talented. Just think of the most powerful memory you have."

Draco focused hard. He didn't like to be put on the spot like this.

"Please…" Hermione pleaded.

Draco let go of his thoughts and insecurities, searching his mind for the most powerful positive feeling he could find. But all his powerful feelings brought him back to the dark chamber. Then he saw it; he felt it glow and build inside his chest. It was in the cellar chamber. Hermione risked her life to save him, she knelt by his side, whispering in his ear that she couldn't bear to see him hurt. It was when she kissed him for the first time. The image changed to when they were lying in his bed at Aunt Muriel's and she told him that she never wanted him to leave. It was in her words 'I love you.'

Draco took a deep breath, a small peaceful smile on his face. "_Expecto Patronum_."

A silvery spectral animal bounded from the end of his wand, taking him by surprise. In his astonishment, he glanced at Hermione with a great smile. Her hand was covering her mouth as she had a completely different kind of surprise. Draco looked back at the creature and in his confusion it faded.

"A badger? But that was yours," Draco said, frustrated by being confused again. "What does _that_ mean?"

"A badger, that's you. It fits," she said.

"So what? I should have been a Hufflepuff or something?" he said moodily.

"No. The badger is actually a very poor symbol for Hufflepuff. I read in Hogwarts, A History that the house symbols were chosen because they were the forms of the founder's patronuses. The snake, the lion, and the raven all fit. The badger, Helga Hufflepuff's, was not after her personality, but her deceased brother's. It was her feelings for him that created her patronus form," Hermione explained.

"So my personality is a badger?" Draco said, a little disgusted.

"You're disappointed… Obviously you haven't though much about it. Obviously you're still thinking Hufflepuff qualities. A badger suits you," Hermione declared. Draco said nothing, waiting for her to continue her explanation. Hermione smiled. "Alright. You have to really consider the animal. They are handsome and well-groomed. They're well-known for their great strength and tenacity. They're known as dominating creatures that will never back down. Their ferocity is thought to match that of a lion, but without being as flashy. They're sharp, assertive, demanding, and intense, and very protective… it's you," Hermione said blushing slightly.

Draco's eyes fell to the side, his brow still creased as he considered this. The creature sounded a lot fiercer than he considered. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to be considered so intense, but at the same time he knew that he was. It was him and those were the qualities he prided himself in. When put the way Hermione described it, there could be no animal that suited him better.

"But then what about you? The badger doesn't suit you at all," Draco said, sharing the same concern that the Weasleys had the day before.

Hermione looked down at the ground in attempt to hide her sheepish grin and furiously blushing cheeks. "It does," Hermione said quietly, fidgeting with her fingertips. "Just not the same way that it suits you." She looked up at him, her grin gone, replaced by guilt, her embarrassment still very present. "I'm going to see if I can set the table for-" Draco's hand caught her elbow as she started to turn.

"No, explain it to me," he said seriously. "They, and now you, are concerned about it. What's wrong with your patronus?"

"Nothing," Hermione said. "If a person changes, their patronus can change to."

"But that doesn't explain it. If it suits my personality, that it can't be yours. You're my opposite," Draco insisted. "If a badger is intense and demanding then it's never been or will be you."

"It's me _because_ it's you," Hermione explained quietly, looking only slightly embarrassed now, her guilt the dominating emotion as she continued to twist the tips of her fingers. "I told you that a patronus takes the form of a person's personality… or where they draw their happiness. My patronus just attests that I've attached myself to you. You're where I draw my strength and happiness from." Hermione looked down again, feeling discomfited.

Draco just stared at her face, pensive and perplexed. _This was why she wanted to see my patronus. She suspected that mine was the badger. She suspected that hers only took that form because of me._

"I'm going to…" Hermione pointed her thumb over her shoulder toward the house.

"Wait…" Draco said, his hand still holding her elbow, he pulled her closer to himself, looking over her shoulder at the kitchen window to be sure Mrs. Weasley wasn't looking before placing his hands on her hips and pulling her even closer, looking down seriously into her eyes. "I don't know what it is that you see in me, or how you could possibly think so highly of me, but I feel the same for you, possibly stronger. And I can't imagine anything in the world that could have the same effect on me as what you just explained."

Hermione stared into the depths of his bluish-grey eyes, no word in the world to describe the deep feeling shared between them just then. Hermione slowly lifted herself onto the balls of her feet, placing her lips against his in a tender kiss and standing back into her position, her hands just above his elbows as he held her waist. She stared up into his face as he looked over her shoulder. He felt a nervous flutter in his stomach as he saw Mrs. Weasley step away from the window. Draco looked back at Hermione and gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

"I better get back to those apples," he said, pulling out his wand.

"Which means that I better go make sure that Harry's not watching," Hermione smiled.

"If Harry were watching right now, I wouldn't still be conscious," Draco replied.

Hermione blushed. "Sorry. I guess I should be more careful doing that."

"Yeah…" Draco agreed. "I think Mrs. Weasley might have seen."

Hermione turned around quickly and stared at the kitchen window, now understanding where he was looking.

"I think it'd be a good idea if you went in first and tested the waters…" Draco suggested.

Hermione nodded.

* * *

**I don't know why, but I really like this chapter. Is it weird that I swoon at my own stories? The conversation didn't go like I planned it, but it turned out way better, IMHO.**

**I really hope you liked it. I'll tell you now, I won't be able to post tomorrow, hopefully the next day. December is a very busy month. But you know me, I'll post ASAP.  
**

**Please please please review. If you liked it at all, please review!**


	8. Included

Hermione walked slowly through the garden and through the back door to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was busy bustling around with many pots and pans. Hermione twisted her fingertips anxiously. Was it possible that Mrs. Weasley had just seen her kiss Draco? Hermione closed her eyes for a second to calm herself and acted as casually as possible.

"Molly, is there anything I can do to help with breakfast?" Hermione offered.

"I think I've got it all, dear," Mrs. Weasley said with a small smile over her shoulder. Hermione stood there uncomfortably for a moment, trying to decide what to do next. "Well, I guess if you'd really like to help, you could always set the table," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"Okay," Hermione said with a smile, feeling much more comfortable now that she had something to do. Though she now had her wand, Hermione took the time to set the table by hand as she would at her parents' house. She enjoyed magic very much, but there were just some things that she just felt that she liked to do the muggle way. There was something about using her hands that really made her feel human. And it was her small human limitations that made her feel even more powerful as a witch.

Hermione set another plate on the table and glanced over at Mrs. Weasley. Draco's suspicion that Mrs. Weasley might have seen their intimate exchange made her extremely uneasy. The woman was not easy to read and even harder for Hermione to predict. She placed yet another plate down and glanced again at the woman's back. The third time she did this, Mrs. Weasley sighed obviously, her shoulders moving as she did.

"Yes, Hermione… I saw," Mrs. Weasley said without turning from the stove. Hermione's heart pounded in her chest, and she stopped with the fork she was ready to place frozen in midair. "So you really do care for the boy…" Mrs. Weasley said, turning around and drying her hands on her apron, looking at Hermione with an expression that she could not read.

Hermione's head was bowed slightly with guilt and she nodded. "Yeah," she answered quietly. Mrs. Weasley sighed again, her lips thin in a warm motherly exasperation, and she clapped Hermione twice on the shoulder with the tiniest of nods. She turned back to the stove as if nothing had happened and Hermione felt her inside twists and become light. Acceptance. This was acceptance. "Best not let the boys know!" Mrs. Weasley said, suddenly stern.

Hermione grinned to herself. She'd be a fool to let the boys see… any of them. Just as she thought this, Harry and Ron came bounding down the stairs fully dressed with their wands out.

"Where's Draco?" Harry said quickly. "He wasn't in bed."

"He's just outside in the garden," said Mrs. Weasley. Harry and Ron both calmed at this but still walked over to the back door and looked out the door's window.

"What on earth is he doing?" Harry asked, suddenly beginning to laugh. Ron joined in, laughing even harder.

"He looks like someone's snuck him Fred and George's U-No-Poo," Ron said, his face turning bright red in his laughter.

"Oh Merlin, you didn't!" Hermione exclaimed, putting the pile of silverware on the table and rushing to the boys and peering over their shoulders into the yard.

"No we didn't. I just said it looked like it," said Ron. "What is he _doing_?"

Hermione stared out the window at Draco and couldn't help but laugh herself. He stood beside the apple tree with his legs slightly apart, his body rigid, his face like stone in intense concentration. His right hand was held out in front of him, sleeve rolled up, its muscles so tight that it looked like his skin was ready to tear. His eyes were so intense that it would have been scary if it weren't so funny and out of place.

"He's practicing wandless magic," Hermione explained.

"What?" Harry asked, his smile gone, his demeanor suddenly very serious.

"Oh, you boys leave him alone," Mrs. Weasley said, taking a glance out the kitchen window at the end of her counter. "He's not bothering anyone."

Harry and Ron both looked at Mrs. Weasley and exchanged looks. It was hard to understand what passed between them, but their anger and hostility had dropped and they returned to looking out the window in interest.

"He did it!" Hermione cried, almost jumping with excitement.

Mrs. Weasley took a step closer and looked out the window with an impressed smile. Harry and Ron both looked unreadable.

"Well, breakfast is ready," Mrs. Weasley announced.

"Oh!" said Hermione bustling back to the table. Watching Draco, she had forgotten about setting the table.

"Why don't you boys let Draco know it's time to eat?" Mrs. Weasley requested.

Hermione decided to forgo muggle methods and pulled out her wand, finishing setting the table in seconds.

Ron opened the back door halfway and shouted across the garden, "Malfoy!" Draco jumped in surprise, the small basket of apples falling to the ground. Draco took a step back, a mask of indifference hiding his fear and defiance, showing only that he was ready to take a defensive position. "Breakfast."

Draco nodded curtly and walked over to the basket of apples. Ron closed the door and took a seat at the table.

Draco opened the back door and walked over to the counter. "Here you are Mrs. Weasley," he said, showing her the basket. "Where would you like me to put them?"

"Oh, thank you, Draco. I'll just take those," she said with a smile, taking them from Draco and placing them on a shelf on the other side of the kitchen. Draco looked at Hermione in question, and Hermione nodded with an amused smile. Draco's eyes widened.

_She saw us kiss? And I'm still alive…?_ Draco mused. _This family is becoming more and more unpredictable every day._ Draco sat down next to Hermione and wondered at the funny grin on her face. It looked as though she had her own private joke and Draco didn't take kindly to being left out.

"Nice spellwork," Hermione said, nudging Draco. Draco looked up nervously at Harry and Ron.

"You saw?" he asked.

"Yeah, we saw. And I don't like it," grumbled Ron almost threateningly.

Harry snorted. "Just because you're jealous." Harry tried to swallow his smile at Ron's look of betrayal.

"Whose side are you on?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Mine. He's always on mine," said Ginny, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "And what's Ronnie jealous of this time?" Ginny swung into the seat next to Harry.

"I'm not jealous of anyone!" Ron protested.

"Draco," Mrs. Weasley answered Ginny, placing a large stack of pancakes on the table.

"Mum!" Ron said, blinking in disbelief as he felt betrayed all around.

"Don't take that tone with your mother, young man," Fred said in a fake stern voice.

"Yeah, that's _our_ job," said Fred.

"Morning, Mum," the twins greeted together, each kissing one of their mother's cheeks before taking a seat.

"So how'd you do it?" Harry asked Draco seriously.

"Er, what?" Draco asked, confused and uncomfortable that Harry was speaking to him without anger or threat.

"How'd you learn to do wandless magic?" Harry clarified.

"Oh, uh… I just kind of did it…" Draco said kind of lamely. "I didn't have a wand. I was desperate. It just worked."

"You can do wandless magic?" Ginny asked, truly impressed.

"Um, I'm only working on my second spell," he said uneasily.

"The blue fire," said Fred, just piecing it together in his head. "You casted the blue fire without a wand."

Draco nodded.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, now concerned again.

Fred looked up at Hermione, wondering if he should say anything, but there wasn't really a way around it. "When Lupin and I went to save Hermione, the chamber door was covered in blue flames. Hermione and Draco were the only ones there, but neither had a wand. I thought it was Hermione because bluebell flames are her specialty, but it was you, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," said Draco. "But Hermione helped me with it."

The room fell silent and everyone began eating quietly. The silence was broken by a tap on the window.

"Oh, is someone getting the Prophet again?" Mrs. Weasley asked, opening the window to let a small barn owl fly in.

"Oh, that's me," said Hermione. "I just sent payment yesterday for a year's subscription. I figured that now the war's over it might have decent articles again."

"One can only hope," Mrs. Weasley said, handing Hermione the newspaper and shooing the owl out the window. Hermione unfolded the paper and began reading the front page as she ate.

"Mmm, there's no better way to wake up than this," Charlie said as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, smelling the air. "All those years in Romania, I got up every morning wishing I could wake to a full spread like this. Morning, Mum." Charlie kissed his mother's cheek and took a seat next to Draco and across from the twins, eagerly adding pancakes and scrambled eggs to his plate. "So, you guys ready?" he asked, looking up at the table with an excited smirk.

"Why else would we be up this early?" Harry asked, a wide grin on his face.

"Yeah, you three are going down today," Ron said with a wicked grin.

"And there, little brother, you are wrong on two accounts," Charlie said, poking a fork in Ron's direction. "First, I think you mean, 'you four.' And second, In your dreams."

"Four?" George asked. "Who else?"

"Well, you _are_ in, aren't you Draco?" Charlie asked.

Draco looked around the table in utter confusion. "I-In on what?"

"Hermione, you didn't tell him?" Ginny asked, looking rather appalled.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, closing her paper and setting it on the table. "It completely slipped my mind. I was wondering what everyone was doing up so early."

"Leave it to Hermione to forget the best day of the week," said Fred, shaking his head.

Draco still looked confused as his attention followed each speaker.

"Weekends are quidditch days around here," explained Hermione. "Every Saturday, all available Weasleys and Harry gather in the orchard to play."

"Play? You make it sound like a tea party when you put it like that," Ron admonished. "This is quidditch, Hermione."

"So you _are_ in, right Draco?" Charlie asked again.

"I don't have a broom," said Draco, a little annoyed because he felt so slow trying to catch up with their bouncing conversation. He wondered how they could each take turns speaking without anyone accidentally interrupting.

"George and I bought new ones since leaving Hogwarts. I still feel rather attached to my Cleansweep Five, but knowing how much you admired it in your second year, I guess I could let you use mine," Fred teased, remembering how Draco told them that their Cleansweep Fives belonged in a museum.

Draco looked around the table, still a little uncertain, but a small lopsided smile tugged at his lips. "Alright. I'm in."

"But that's still not enough for four-a-side," said George.

"And you could talk all day and never convince Hermione, we've tried," said Ron.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. She hated it when Ron picked on her like that.

"And no offense Hermione, but we wouldn't want someone like her anyway," George told Charlie. "Your side's all played quidditch at school. Who's our fourth man?"

"No offense indeed," Hermione muttered.

"Bill," said Charlie. Everyone's face lit up. "Yeah, he said he's back in on the whole weekend quidditch games. He'll be here tomorrow too."

"All right," said Ron enthusiastically. He looked extremely pleased. "Now I can easily say, 'You four are so going down!'"

"Keep dreaming, Ron," said Ginny. "We'll bury you."

"Hey! Since we have four-a-side, can George and I break out a bludger?" Fred said excitedly.

"NO!" said Mrs. Weasley. "You just got out of the hospital, Fred Weasley. There is no way that you are sending anyone back there in your place."

When Mrs. Weasley's back was turned, all the Weasley children nodded excitedly in agreement. What their mum didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"So I'm assuming you'll be out there most of the day. Shall I just send snacks midday and prepare another early supper?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"That'd be great," said Charlie.

"Alright, well I can't wait to break out my Firebolt, so let's go warm up," said Harry. George and Ron nodded and joined them. Ron looked extremely smug, but Harry and George looked over their shoulders, casting appraising looks at the other team.

"So… It's Potter, Wea- _Ron_, George, and Bill versus Charlie, Fred, Ginny, and I?" Draco asked, making sure he understood the teams.

"Yep. They are so going down," said Fred. "And Ron is blissfully ignorant of that fact."

"Ron will never recognize a good team. He supports the Canons for Merlin's sake," said Ginny.

"Is Bill that bad?" Draco asked curiously. "Because you all seemed excited…"

"Oh, no," said Ginny. "Bill's pretty good. He played keeper for Gryffindor for a year. Ron's just not very good at seeing the subtle differences that make a good team."

"George sees it though," stated Fred with a smug grin.

"I don't think Harry does, but he obviously sees that we do," said Ginny.

"Speaking of teams, who do you support, Malfoy?" Fred asked.

"Don't answer that!" Hermione ordered suddenly. "That question could potentially ruin the whole day."

"You're so dramatic, Hermione," chortled Fred.

"So then when Lee Jordan switched teams that he was supporting, that wasn't you and George that argued with him and dyed his hair you team's colors?" Hermione asked.

"Don't listen to her, Draco," said Charlie. "It's really not that big of a deal."

"Yeah," agreed Ginny. "It just helps us know what kind of player you are by knowing what moves and formations your team uses."

Draco glanced at Hermione and back at the others. "Holyhead Harpies," he announced proudly.

"Yes!" said Ginny.

"I was afraid you were going to say Tornados," replied Fred. "That's who Harry supports."

"He would," sneered Draco. "He's too proud of his skills as a seeker. Tornados have an incredible seeker and a decent keeper, but their chasers are crap. The Harpies have the best chasers out there. They don't even need to worry about the snitch half the time. And their beaters are spot on."

"Yes," said Fred, balling up his fists in excitement.

"Now we definitely have the upper hand." Charlie smiled broadly. "Let's go."

Everyone stood up from the table and filed into the backyard.

"So what is it that gives us the upper hand?" asked Draco.

"Loads," said Fred.

"Start with Ron," said Charlie. "He's a great keeper, but we're all playing chasers. He's gotten better over the years, but he's still a clumsy throw. And his height works against him."

"His height makes him sit higher on the broom and makes it more difficult for him to keep balance which makes his turns slower," explained Ginny.

"Bill's much the same way," said Charlie. "He's about the same build as Ron and he hasn't played for a real quidditch team in years. Even when he did, he was keeper so he's still a bit shaky in a good chase as well."

"George and I are equals, so you'll still have to watch for him," said Fred.

"And Harry," said Charlie with a smile. "Ron and Harry put too much faith in Harry's flying skills. There's no doubt that he's a natural on a broom, great flyer, but that's about all he's got going for him. He's got the fast broom, the balance, maneuverability and he can catch anything, but he's not a chaser. He never started playing until he went to Hogwarts, so he's only ever played the position of seeker except for the few times he's played like two-a-side or three-a-side here. I'm assuming you've grown up playing home quidditch with friends?"

"Yeah," said Draco.

"So you've got the balance, speed, build, and catching ability of a seeker, but you've grown up with the skills of a chaser as well," said Charlie. "And I'm the same. Ginny's one of the best chasers around, she's played since well before she should have been allowed. And as Fred said, he and George are equals. So we definitely have the stronger team. Not to mention, you seem to have an eye for seeing a team's weaknesses. You know theirs now, so use them."

Draco gave a wicked smirk. "We're going to crush them."

Fred punched the air with excitement as Ginny opened the small stone broom shed and began handing out the brooms.

* * *

**Thank you again for the wonderful reviews! Please keep them coming. I love to know what you think of each chapter's events.**

**Please review!**


	9. Enlightened

"...but twice!" Ginny finished a statement that Mrs. Weasley had missed the beginning of, as Ginny strutted through the kitchen door, a little dirt smeared on her cheek, her hair disheveled, and dirt and grass stains on the knees of her jeans. Fred followed right behind, with his hair standing up in all directions, dried blood under his nose and down his chin. The rest of the group came in looking just as bad or worse, with exception of Hermione who looked as tidy and composed as ever.

"Yeah, what was that about us going down, Ron?" Fred asked.

"We were close the second game..." Ron grumbled quietly.

"Yeah, only a few goals behind," said Charlie. "Which means we'll just have to pick up our game tomorrow so we can _really_ crush you." Draco and the rest of the winning team laughed at this while the opposing team sulked.

"I say we switch up the teams tomorrow," Harry voted.

"Oh yeah, and just who would you cut from your team, Captain?" Fred asked cockily.

Harry looked down, feeling even more salty. Fred and everyone else knew that Harry was very competitive, but too loyal to ever cut someone from his team. He wouldn't dare insult any of his friends like that.

"My goodness! Look at you all! Blood and mud everywhere!" Mrs. Weasley berated. "Look what you've done to my kitchen by just standing here! Were you playing quidditch or shuntbumps?! Really! Everyone upstairs and get washed up this instant!"

"I call it first!" Ron shouted.

"Yeah right!" George yelled back sarcastically, pushing his siblings out of the way as he ran toward the stairs.

"First come, first serve!" Fred yelled over his shoulder.

"Dinner's almost ready so just five minutes each! That's all!" Mrs. Weasley shouted up the stairs. "I'm setting the timer!"

"There's only one shower here?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "Which is why I usually sleep in. No fight for last place."

"But if she ever does fight for first then she's serious and no one dares to protest," said Charlie, walking slowly up the stairs with the rest of the group. "For such a pretty little thing, she's got quite a bite."

"Try telling Mum that," grumbled Ron. "Ginny's Mummy's little angel."

"Wow, we do look quite a mess, don't we?" Ginny said, wiping some blood from next to Charlie's ear.

"Yeah, but imagine how much worse we'd look if we _were _playing shuntbumps," said Charlie.

"We should sometime," said Ron with a wicked smile.

"Oh, you'd be the first one down, Ronnie," Fred said as the group approached. He was leaning against the wall outside the bathroom on the third floor landing.

"What's shuntbumps?" Hermione asked sheepishly.

"Kid's game," answered Draco.

"Dogfight on brooms, Hermione," Harry explained. "Last man standing."

"That's a _child's_ game?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Only because of how dangerous it gets when you're older. Kids get toy broomsticks that only go a couple feet off the ground," said Charlie. "There are some rough teens and adults that do it, but you definitely need a healer nearby. It's been outlawed as a professional sport."

"Mum would kill us if she even heard us discussing it like this," said Fred.

"Ahhh!" A scream issued from the bathroom and the Weasleys laughed and shook their heads. Not a minute later, George walked out of the bathroom shivering with a towel around his waist. Draco was almost pushed down the stairs as the group all dived for the open room at once. Draco looked on as broad shoulders were locked together, trying to all push through the small door at once. Ginny ducked down and pushed through their legs, squeezing between the boys.

"Hah!" Ginny cried in triumph.

"No fair!" shouted Ron, grabbing Ginny's shirt. Ginny simply slipped the shirt over her head, letting it fall loose in Ron's hand. All of the boys looked flabbergasted at her dirty tactics, turning quickly as not to see their little sister in a bra. Hermione smacked Harry's arm as he looked a little longer than he should have.

"Wow... I'm glad I didn't have any brothers or sisters..." said Draco, astonished to see that the queue for a shower was as competitive as their quidditch games.

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy. You probably had six baths to choose from at your mansion," Ron spat venomously.

Draco suddenly looked angry and sour as he glared at Ron. He had really been enjoying himself up 'til then. For a few blessed hours he had forgotten who he was.

Charlie and Fred both slapped the back of Ron's head at the same time. "What was that for?" Ron turned angrily to his brothers.

"For being a right git," said Fred.

The door handle began to turn just four minutes later and Ron yelped as two rough hands pulled him back and shoved him against the wall. Ginny walked out, a towel wrapped under her arms that stopped mid-thigh. She smirked at the boys, still proud of her win and walked down the stairs to her room.

"What are you doing?!" Ron growled, Fred and Charlie pinning him to the wall. Harry was ready to rush for the bathroom, but when he realized that there was no fight for it, he stopped in confusion.

"After you, Malfoy," said Charlie.

"What?!" shouted Ron.

"He didn't know the rules of the game," explained Fred.

"Not to mention you insulted the man," said Charlie.

"Low blow," agreed Fred.

Draco's face, as usual, was solid but his eyes were confused. Slowly he walked into the bathroom. "Thanks," he uttered before closing the door.

Fred and Charlie let go of Ron, who shook his shoulders with attitude. Harry jumped when two open hands connected with his head and a fist with his arm.

"What was that for?!" Harry asked, staring at the boys in shock.

"For looking at our sister," Fred, Charlie, and Ron said together. Hermione just chuckled.

Five minutes later there was a loud shout from the bathroom again. A minute later Draco exited the bathroom with a towel around his waist, shivering with his eyebrows knit in anger. Harry and Ron dived for the bathroom, almost knocking Draco over again. Harry sulked, leaning against the wall when Ron beat him in. Hermione looked at Draco in concern of his mood.

"The water went cold," he explained in frustration, suspecting foul play.

"When Mum says five minutes, she means it," Charlie explained. "If you're sticking around here for awhile, you better get used to it."

"George is in our room. He'll get you some clothes," said Fred.

Just over an hour after the group had returned from quidditch, they were sitting around the kitchen table, half of them still shivering. Hermione was smirking, having decided to take her own shower later. Mrs. Weasley sat down at the table and looked a little confused.

"Where's Bill?" she asked.

"You said to get cleaned up and he ran for home," George laughed.

Mrs. Weasley looked disappointed but nodded. Plates were piled high once again and conversations roared around the table, but this time Draco found himself able to keep up as most of them were going through the highlights of their quidditch games. Just near the end of the meal, they were interrupted by a tap at the window. Mrs. Weasley put her napkin down and went to the window to let in an owl. Silence slowly began to wash over the table, speaker by speaker hushing as they noticed the concerned look on Mrs. Weasley's face as she shooed the owl out of the house.

"What is it, Mum?" Ron asked carefully.

"It's for Draco," she said, handing the envelope to him.

Draco stared at the envelope that bore his name and the address 'The Burrow - Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon' No one but the Weasleys knew he was here. Who would be writing him? He turned the envelope over in his hands, feeling all the eyes on him. His heart skipped a beat and his stomach plummeted when he saw the Ministry of Magic seal. He swallowed hard and opened the letter.

Everyone stared at Draco as he read, his face as unreadable as always. Finally he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, not looking up or offering a single word or acknowledgement.

"Draco...?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"It's from the Ministry," Draco stated flatly. "My trial takes place on Wednesday the 13th at 9:30 AM in front of the Wizengamot in courtroom ten."

Silence followed, everyone staring at their plates in thought. "Did it say what the charges were?" Hermione asked in a voice higher than her usual.

"What do you think the charges are?" Draco said a bit harshly. Hermione looked hurt, but it wasn't from his words.

After another moment of silence, Ginny startled the group with a fierce tone. "I'll testify on your behalf."

Draco looked up from his plate. He looked frustrated and angry, but he was too distraught to properly hide his fear. He was surprised by Ginny's offer, but he wasn't sure what to feel about it. His thoughts and emotions were swirling violently inside him. He was ready to explode from the overwhelming chaos inside of him.

There was a large sigh across the table and Draco looked up. "Me too. I'll testify," said Fred.

"What?" Draco asked. _What is there that Fred can possibly say? He was in the hospital the whole time_.

"I was there to rescue Hermione. I saw the state you were in. I'll testify to what I saw," explained Fred.

Draco's head was spinning even faster if it were possible. But Hermione looked up at her friends with immense gratitude.

"It's going to be alright, Draco," Hermione said, trying to catch Draco's eye. He stared at the table again. He heard her but could not respond. What she said made him angrier than he'd felt in days. "They'll testify. I'll represent you. I'll do everything I can to-"

"Stop!" Draco said suddenly, startling the table as he rose to his feet, placing his napkin next to his plate. "Look, I appreciate it. I appreciate what all of you have done for me. You really are good people and I wish I'd realized it sooner," his voice was fierce and irate, but his eyes were glistening with angry unshed tears. "But I didn't. And no matter what I do now, no matter how I've changed the fact remains that I was a death eater." Draco turned and looked Hermione seriously in the eye, his bluish-grey orbs both hot and apologetic. "And that doesn't get forgiven."

"Draco..." Hermione stared up at him, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks.

"Please excuse me," Draco said. He turned from the table and walked out the back door.

Hermione's elbows rested on the table as she pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, trying to stay her tears. The Weasley's looked around the table uncertainly, Harry and Hermione's heads the only ones bowed.

"Um... I'll just grab the pudding," Mrs. Weasley said uncomfortably. Mrs. Weasley placed the apple crumble on the center of the table, but everyone remained still in their great uncertainty. Charlie took the lead and began spooning the dessert onto the small plates that Mrs. Weasley had provided.

Hermione, eyes read and puffy but now dry, looked up and stared at Harry who still stared at his empty dinner plate. He felt Hermione's eyes on him but he refused to look up.

"Ron, you want to go play chess?" Harry asked, still not looking up.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Ron said as uncertain as the rest. He didn't know what to make of Malfoy anymore. He didn't like him, that was certain. But that didn't mean that he was sure that Draco belonged in Azkaban. He hadn't actually thought about that since the day the war ended, the day Hermione talked them into letting Draco stay. Ron didn't like Draco, but he really didn't seem like the rest of the death eaters and he wasn't sure that Draco should be treated the same also. "What, _now_?" Ron asked after Harry gave him a look. Ron had thought that Harry meant when the meal was over. It was obvious that Harry needed him, and he looked at his uneaten apple crumble with sadness.

Ron stood from the table and started walking toward the stairs, Harry right behind him.

"Wait!" Hermione cried. "Harry, can I please talk to you?"

Harry looked up the stairs, looking rather annoyed and put out. He sighed and jerked his head toward the stairs in answer to Hermione's question. Hermione's stomach flopped. She didn't like how Harry was acting but she went up the stairs, Harry right behind her.

Ron looked after them, even more uncertain than he was a moment before. He had a feeling he wasn't supposed to follow. "Um, I'm just going to eat my apple crumble and I'll be up in a few minutes Harry," Ron said. He knew he should be happy that he now got his dessert but he had a very bad feeling about this talk between Harry and Hermione. One look at the table told him that he wasn't the only one.

Hermione walked into Ron's room and Harry followed, closing the door behind him. Harry stood at the door and looked up at Hermione, his face cold. Hermione was confused and hurt by his expression.

"Harry... I-" Hermione started.

"Hermione, I know what you're going to ask me and the answer is no," Harry said flatly. "I won't testify for him." Hermione looked as though he had punched her in the gut. "And I'm really upset you'd even ask me," he continued bitterly. "I know he's your friend, but this isn't something you ask as a favor."

"Harry," Hermione said, her lip quivering. "I know you don't like him but-"

"This has nothing to do with like or dislike, Hermione," Harry snapped heatedly. "I'll admit that it seems like he's changed, but that doesn't change the fact that he was a death eater. I'm not going to go up there and say he wasn't! And I can't believe that you would even ask me to! This isn't something that you ask as a favor!" Harry repeated, his voice rising.

"Harry, I'm not asking you to lie," Hermione pleaded earnestly.

"No, but you're asking me to interfere with justice, something you've fought for ever since I met you! He was a death eater, Hermione! He made his choices and he has to suffer the consequences!"

"Harry..."

"No! I won't do it. So don't ask me again," Harry said, opening the door and staring at Hermione.

Hermione's face screwed up in agony, hot tears racing down her cheeks. She couldn't even look at him. She turned and left the room, walking down the stairs slowly, unable to see well through her tears. She stopped on the first floor landing where she saw Mrs. Weasley standing. Without a word, Mrs. Weasley pulled Hermione into a tight hug. Hermione buried her face into the woman's shoulder and wept. She had no idea how much time passed as she stood there crying into the woman she considered her second mother, but eventually her tears ran dry and she pulled away.

"Mrs. Weasley... at Aunt Muriel's house I found some books on law. I was wondering if-"

"Charlie's already gone to retrieve them," she said. Hermione nodded gratefully.

"And there's parchment, quills, and ink in my desk," offered Ginny. Hermione was startled to see Ginny standing behind Mrs. Weasley, wondering when she got there. Hermione nodded in thanks and retreated to Ginny's room.

Hours passed, the sky beginning to grow dark outside the window as Hermione sat at Ginny's desk, books piled around her, her quill moving quickly across a long piece of parchment. A knock at the door startled her from her trance.

"Come in," she said, her voice a little raspy from not using it.

Draco walked into the room with his head down, looking somber and subdued.

"Draco..." Hermione breathed, getting to her feet.

"I'm sorry," said Draco. "I shouldn't have burst out like that earlier. I know you're just trying to help."

"I am," Hermione replied earnestly. "The whole time we were in the library at Aunt Muriel's I've been looking at books of law. Charlie brought me these and I'm working out the legal proceedings and-"

"Hermione, you have to stop this," said Draco seriously.

"What?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"I know you're trying to help, but you have to face the facts. I was a death eater and you can't do or say anything to change that," Draco replied. "I know what I've done and I have to face it - I'm going to Azkaban."

"No. Don't say that. You may have officially been a death eater but your allegiance was never-"

"Stop," he said vehemently. "It doesn't matter how you sugar-coat it. It doesn't change that I was a death eater. You have to accept that."

"No."

"Yes," he replied firmly. "I know you want to make it all disappear like it never happened but no one, no matter how hard you try, can change that. It doesn't matter what you do, I was a death eater and death eaters go to Azkaban. You have to accept that."

"I won't!" Hermione said angrily. "You have a case, Draco. I've looked over the laws and old cases and the way you resisted V-Voldemort do count!"

"Even if you plead this case, get everyone you know to witness for me, find every loophole and previous cases, in the end I'm going to Azkaban. You may reduce my sentence, but there's no way I'm going to just walk out a free man!" Draco yelled. "You have to accept that!"

"No! I won't! How can you have lost hope like that?!" Hermione demanded. "You have to have faith. Faith in yourself! You're a good man and you don't deserve to go to prison!"

"Death eaters deserve to go to prison. It's as simple as that. They're going to take one look at me, accuse me of being a death eater, which I can't deny, and they're going to lock me away. Ask anyone in the community if death eaters belong in prison and they will think you're crazy just for asking such a stupid question. You have to face the facts!" Draco said forcefully. "They're going to label me a death eater and won't see anything other than that."

"Why are you so stubborn like this? Don't you have faith in the law? In me?! I promised you that I will protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Hermione shouted. "They may just want to see you as a death eater but I'll _make _them see more! You protected me and cared for me, saved me, and I won't forget it and I will make sure the whole world doesn't either!"

"But that's all beside the point! No matter what good I've done, it doesn't make up for the bad. Accept it!" he demanded in rage. "Accept it for me! I'm going to Azkaban and I don't want to sit in there thinking about you out here suffering because of the guilt and pity you feel for me! Forget about me! Let it go!"

"No! No, I won't accept it! I'll never accept it! I'll never give up on you! Never! I will make the world see who you are. If I have to shout it to the world for the rest of my life. I will do everything I possibly can for you! I won't let you suffer anymore than you already have. If I have to go and break you out of Azkaban, I will! You will not suffer for crimes that you never even committed! And you better not give up! Giving up on yourself is giving up on me! I won't let you do it!" Hermione shouted fiercely.

Draco stared at her with his emotions so mixed and confused. He grabbed her by the shoulders, believing that making her stop would somehow bring him back to himself. "Hermione..."

"You're not giving up, Draco! I won't let you," Hermione said, her eyes more intense than he'd ever seen them. "Say it! Say you won't give up! Tell me that you're worth it. Tell me _I'm_ worth it." Hermione paused but Draco was too overwhelmed to speak. "Say it!" she demanded.

"You're worth it," he said quietly. "For you, if nothing else, I won't give up," Draco said.

Hermione threw her hands around his neck and snaked her fingers up into his hair, pulling him into the fiercest and most passionate kiss that either of them had ever experienced. Draco's arms wrapped around her waist, hold her so close that he was afraid that any harder might hurt her. Their mouths moved together, hearts racing, breaths shallow as they strived to leave themselves and become almost as a single being.

"Who's fighting?" Ron shouted as he burst into the room. His eyes popped and his mouth feel open, but as quickly as the shock hit, it changed to disgust and fury. "Get off of her!"

Ron shoved Draco back so hard that he fell into the desk, books and ink crashing to the floor.

"Ron! Stop!" Hermione shouted, starting toward Ron in desperation. Hermione was startled as a hand grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall away from Ron and Draco.

"Not this time, Hermione!" Harry said darkly, holding her against the wall with one hand, the other pointing his wand at Draco.

"What on earth-?" Ginny stopped suddenly in the doorway. "Ron! Stop! What are you-?"

The door slammed shut in Ginny's face with a mumbled spell from Ron, locking it in the process.

"Open this door!" Ginny shouted, hammering her fist against it.

"_Silencio,_" Harry said, directing his wand at the door. Ginny's shouting and pounding stopped instantly.

"Get out!" Ron growled, his wand pointed at Draco's chest.

"No," Draco said defiantly after a pause. "Hermione-"

"Hermione's not protecting you anymore. Get out," Ron growled through his teeth, his eyes ablaze.

"No!" Hermione shouted.

"Shut up, Hermione," Harry ordered. "That's not a request," Harry said to Draco. "Get out!"

Draco glared at him, his teeth bared.

"Get out before I hex every inch of you!" Harry bellowed.

"Hermione," Draco said, staring Ron fiercely in the eye. There was no way that he could stay. He would take a hexing if he had to, but he knew it wouldn't change anything. He couldn't stay any longer. "I'll owl you."

"Out!" Ron yelled.

"No! Draco!" Hermione shouted trying to push past Harry, her free arm reaching out to him. Draco grabbed his wand from his pocket and disapparated. "NO!" She turned to Harry and pushed him away from her. "How could you do that to him?! How could you do that to _me_?!" she demanded.

"We've had enough of this," said Ron, taking a step closer to her and Harry. "He's made a fool of you, of all of us and we won't stand for it anymore! He's using you!"

"He's not!" Hermione screamed, angry tears burning down her face.

"He is," Harry growled. "He's been using you from the start. Using you to try to save his own skin and I won't stand for it."

"He's not! You don't know anything about it!" Hermione yelled with rage.

"You're blind!" Ron shouted. "He's taking advantage of you, using your emotions! He's playing you!"

"I'm protecting him because I want to! He's-"

Ron cut her off again, his hands shaking by his sides as he looked at her in disgust. "He's playing you and I won't let him make a fool of you any longer. He's making you look loose and-"

Hermione flew at him and slapped him in the face. "Don't you dare say that about me! You don't know anything about it!" Hermione's eyes were on fire. She never imagined she could ever hate them like she did now. "Friends?!" she spat venomously. "You obviously don't know the meaning." Hermione grabbed her wand and disapparated before either one could stop her.

"Fuck!" Ron cursed, kicking and breaking a leg on Hermione's camp bed.

The door burst open and Ginny entered with a look that could be called nothing but livid, followed by Fred, George and Charlie in the doorway. "Where is she!?" Ginny demanded. Harry glanced at her, his face made of solid stone. "How on earth could you do that to them?!" Ginny demanded. "How could you send them away like that?! You have no idea what you've just done!"

"We didn't send Hermione away!" Ron shouted.

"No, you just pushed her away!" Ginny yelled back. "I heard everything! How could you say that stuff to her?! You know what he means to her! How could you send him away like that?! How could you put him in danger like that?!"

"I don't give a fuck about him!" Ron retorted.

"And maybe you never will, but the rest of us do! He's in as much danger from the death eaters as he is with the rest of the world!" Ginny cried. "What else would you expect her to do?!"

"He made a fool of her! Of all of us!" Harry shouted.

"No! _You_ made a fool of you!" Ginny protested. "I knew you never liked him, but I thought you were getting over it. I thought that there was no way you could treat him like this after everything he's done for Hermione."

"Everything he's done for Hermione?!" Ron said incredulously. "What's wrong with you people?! He was the one that held her captive. So he healed her and fed her, that doesn't make him a fucking hero!"

Ginny stared at him and Harry in disbelief when understanding finally washed over her. "You don't know, do you?"

Harry and Ron's seething rage dissolved into an angry confusion.

"Draco didn't just keep her captive for three weeks. He risked everything for her and he got caught. Didn't you talk to her at all?!"

"Mum said not to. You see how she is when she just thinks about it..." Ron said quietly.

"Then why didn't you ask Mum? Me? Charlie? _Anyone?!_" Ginny demanded. "He didn't just guard her for three weeks and change his mind when the Order showed up! He spent nearly two weeks being tortured right alongside her," Ginny said.

Ron and Harry's fury sank lower, confusion and a slight pang of guilt beginning to form inside of them.

"Yeah, that's right," Ginny continued. "Draco got caught trying to help her and was tortured for it. His own father disowned him and beat him, breaking his bones. You-know-who tortured him personally and burned the dark mark off his arm. He was stuck in that cell right alongside her, caring for her. He risked his own life, was ready to die to save her. To save the order! To save _you_!" Ginny turned away from them, too disgusted to even look at them just then.

"The signal at the Burrow went off because Hermione used it to save him," Fred said quietly. "When we came to save her, Draco was almost dead. He risked everything to get her out. I carried him and he was bleeding everywhere... His throat was cut, he was stabbed in the chest, burns on his arms... He saved her life."

Harry and Ron looked down in shame. They hadn't known. Hermione had only ever told them that he took care of her when she was imprisoned. They knew that he fed her and healed her, but they had no idea that he had suffered with her and for her. And nothing anyone had said before had helped them to understand it. Everyone always talked about when they went to save _Hermione_, they never said 'save Draco'. But it all made sense now. They knew Draco didn't have his wand, but obviously it was taken from him when he was imprisoned. They mentioned that he used wandless magic because the he cast it in desperation, but they didn't know that it was against the death eaters. And they knew he used it on the cellar door, but they had always assumed he had used it on the outside. They often wondered how the family could accept him so easily, but they saw now themselves that Draco was indeed a hero.

"Where are you going?!" Ron burst out as he saw Ginny moving toward the stairs.

"Mum's gone to Percy's. I'm going to tell her and notify the Order that you two scared away Hermione and Draco. They're both in danger now because of you," Ginny explained.

"No, Ginny, don't tell Mum!" Ron pleaded.

"Ron, this isn't 'Don't tell Mum I stole a cookie!' They're in danger. Draco even more than Hermione," Ginny replied.

"We'll find them," Harry said vehemently. "Give us one hour. We'll find them."

Ginny thought on it for a moment and glanced at Charlie and the twins for advice. "Fine. In one hour, you better have both of them back here in my room! Any longer and I contact the whole Order."

"We'll search too, but we stay in groups," said Charlie, gesturing to himself and the twins. "We meet back here in one hour, regardless of our status. If you find either one, send a patronus to me. I'll do the same for you. Ginny, I'll send notice to you if either group finds them."

All nodded in understanding and the two groups disapparated.

* * *

**I loved all your reviews last chapter but they made me feel so guilty! You were all so happy that the drama was becoming less intense and I knew this chapter was coming. I'm sorry. *pout***

**I still hope you liked this chapter. Please review! Please, please please!**


	10. Discovered

Harry and Ron apparated directly into the Hog's Head, startling the customers and the bar tender, Aberforth.

"Wow, you boys are quick," Aberforth said.

"What?" asked Ron, still trying to grasp their new surroundings.

"You're here for the Malfoy boy, right?" Aberforth asked. "I was just finishing a letter to the ministry, but it seems you boys are already on it."

"Yeah," Harry replied quickly.

"First door on the left," the bartender said, pointing at the stairs.

Harry and Ron raced up the stairs and pounded on the door. Draco opened the door wearing only a pair of George's tan corduroy pants and glared when he saw them. "What do you want?" Draco spat angrily. "I left. Now leave me alone!"

"Is Hermione here?" Ron asked hurriedly before Draco could slam the door in their faces.

"What?" Draco asked, confused and now panicked. "She was with you. You saw me leave without her. Where is she?"

"We don't know. She left just after you," said Harry. "We've been looking for you both for over two hours now."

"No. She's not here," Draco said, opening the door to his room to show them. "What happened? Why did she leave?" he asked with worry.

Harry and Ron looked guilty. "Because we sent you away," answered Ron.

Draco ran to the bed and picked up his royal blue jumper, pulling it quickly over his head.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to find her," Draco said angrily.

"You know where she is?!" Ron said.

"No. But that's not going to stop me from looking," Draco replied fiercely.

"We've searched every single wizarding bar, cafe, and inn that we know of. This was the last one we tried," said Ron.

"Do you know where she'd go?" Harry asked Draco. "Where she'd hide if she were in trouble?"

"Harry..." Ron said slowly, his eyes blank as a new idea came to mind. "Harry, she'd hide where she'd hidden before..."

"When we were on the run..." Harry said, blood pumping quickly through his veins as his heart rate picked up in excitement and anxiety. "Go back to the Burrow!" Harry ordered Draco.

"No! I'm coming with you!" Draco insisted. Harry and Ron exchanged glances and Harry held out his left arm.

"Alright," said Harry. "But you don't know where we're going, so take hold."

Draco grabbed Harry's forearm and was ready to apparate when Harry pulled out his wand. But the Apparition spell was never cast. Instead he shouted _'expecto patronum_' and a stag burst from his wand and leapt through the closed window just like a ghost.

"Forest of Dean?" Harry asked. Ron simply nodded and Draco felt himself being squeezed by the world around him as though he were being forced through a garden hose. When they appeared next, they were standing in the middle of a forest that Draco had never seen before. "Split up!" ordered Harry.

Ron nodded but Draco stared at Harry.

"We're not leaving without you. If you get lost or find Hermione, send up red sparks," Harry said. Draco nodded and ran off to the left of where the other boys went.

"I'm checking the pool of water," Ron shouted. He and Harry split directions, yelling Hermione's name the entire time. Thirty minutes passed before Draco saw red sparks in the sky. He raced toward them faster than he had ever run before.

"Did you find her?!" Draco shouted as he neared the voices.

"No, she's not here," said Ron.

"World Cup forest?" Harry asked. Ron nodded again and Draco grabbed hold of Harry's arm, apparating to another forest. Their search continued in much the same way, but they met up again after forty minutes. Draco was even more frustrated than the time before when the red sparks did not reveal Hermione.

Draco soon lost count of the many places they visited, his stomach becoming more and more upset from all the side-along apparition so close together in time. Draco stood outside a café in muggle London, looking at both Harry and Ron looking just as frustrated and worried as he felt. Hours had past and they felt no closer to finding her.

"The bridge?" Ron asked apprehensively.

"Do you think she would?" Harry asked. "I mean... that's where she was captured."

"Go there," said Draco, holding his arm out to Harry. "Now!"

Draco had his wand out the second they touched ground near a stream under a random stone bridge. He was completely ready to be attacked by death eaters, and it seemed that Harry and Ron were also prepared for such. It would be just like the death eaters to expect a return to this spot. But Hermione was not there either. The three of them lit their wands and began searching the ground for any signs that she could possibly be there.

"Damn it!" Ron cursed. "Where would she go?! Where would she hide?"

"What if she's not hiding… she's probably looking for him," Harry said, turning to Draco. "Where would she look for you?"

"I really don't know," admitted Draco. "I didn't even know where to go when I left. I've never mentioned anywhere."

"Dammit. Where would I look if I were searching for you?" Harry asked.

"We've already searched them," said Ron. "We thought he'd look for a place to sleep."

"If she had thought the same thing, she probably would have found him before us," Harry argued.

"But she's not looking for me… I left," Draco said sadly as this realization washed over him. "She thinks I abandoned her… She's not looking for me and she's not hiding. She wants to be safe," said Draco, his mind racing as he tried to focus his thoughts. Suddenly a conversation they held came back to him.

_"But that's stupid. Why would Hansel and Gretel go home if they knew that their father and step-mother sent them away to die?" he'd asked as she finally began telling him her favorite muggle folktale. _

_"Because it was their home," Hermione had said with a small sad smile. "They didn't know where else to go. And no matter how terrible things can be, home just always feels like a safe place. It might just be an illusion, but whenever you feel scared, home is just the first place you think of."_

"You didn't try her house," Draco said without asking.

"It's empty. Her parents are gone. There's nothing there at all," Ron said.

"She's there," Draco said confidently.

Harry looked at Draco for a moment, curious by his certainty. "Let's go."

"I don't know where it is," said Ron.

Harry gripped his wand and held out both arms. No sooner than Draco and Ron grabbed his forearms, they were pressed together as time and space folded upon them. They lurched to a stop in front of a tan house in a muggle neighborhood, the streets lit only by the streetlamps. Draco looked around uncertainly. He'd never before seen a muggle neighborhood and was stunned by how different it looked. He looked up at the dark house, a dull ache inside of him. With all the lights off and the grass in the yard overgrown, the house looked sad.

"The sign says 'sold,'" Draco said, looking at the property sign in the yard.

"It's said that for a year now. Hermione had her parents sell the house to her," Harry said as he was already running up the walk.

Harry tried the handle but it was locked. With a simple '_alohamora_' the door swung open on the dark empty house. Harry's step was slow as he entered. It felt cold and empty, every inch of the floors and walls bare.

"Wands out. Split up," Harry instructed.

Without hesitation Ron raced up the stairs. Halfway up, with no windows in the stairwell, Ron lit his wand. His heart racing, he opened the first door only to find it was an empty bathroom. He continued down the hall and found a door with a beautiful ornament that read 'Hermione.' It was the only personal piece in the entire house. He threw the door open to see nothing but an empty room with lavender painted walls. He was about to turn when he saw a shadow in the corner.

"Hermione?" Ron asked. He took a step closer, raising his wand high. He gasped as the light shone down on a girl in a black robe huddled in the corner, her face pale and haunted. "Hermione." He turned his head toward the door and shouted, "She's here!"

Footsteps thundered below and Ron knelt down beside the girl. "Hermione, are you okay?" He paused and touched her hand but she didn't respond. "Hermione…"

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Harry said, rushing in and kneeling by Hermione, Draco following directly behind.

"She's not responding," Ron told Harry, his heart pounding, his face filled with fear.

"Hermione…" Harry said. "Hermione…" Harry gently shook her shoulder but she didn't move a muscle.

"Has she been attacked?" Ron worried, looking around the room for signs of a struggle, any sign that someone else might have been there.

"Her eyes are open though," Harry replied. "Hermione."

Draco pushed in between the boys, taking her hand. "Hermione. It's Draco. Please answer us."

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked.

"She's still blinking, so it's not a spell," Draco declared.

Harry got to his feet and sent his patronus through the wall, trotting off to tell Charlie that they had found her. He walked over to the door and flicked the light switch. "There's no electricity. No light." Draco didn't even hear what Harry had said, unaware of the spell he had cast, as he knelt there staring into Hermione's blank eyes.

"I've got that," said Ron, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the deluminator that Dumbledore had given him and clicked it, releasing the light he had captured earlier. Draco looked up in surprise at the orbs of light that floated against the ceiling, but the gasp next to him brought his attention right back to Hermione.

"Hermione," Harry said, kneeling by her again. "Did she just gasp?"

"At the light," Draco said with growing concern. Draco stood up and took a step back, examining the room then looking back at the unresponsive girl in the corner. "She was afraid when the light shined. I know where we are."

Ron looked back at Draco, rather irked by his stupid statement. "Bright of you to catch up."

"No… We're in the cellar. She's in the cellar…" He said, his mind drifting far as panic began to overwhelm him.

Harry and Ron both turned away from Hermione and stared at Draco uncertainly and concerned.

"What?" asked Harry.

"She went home but she couldn't find it. Safety of home is just an illusion. She's locked herself in the cellar," Draco said, his hand resting on his silky blond hair as he tried to steady his mind and piece together his thoughts as his emotions were overwhelming him.

"What is he on about?" Ron whispered to Harry, becoming a little frightened by Draco's lapse in sanity. Harry shook his head and watched Draco carefully. Draco didn't frighten him, but the things he was saying he didn't understand. It was obvious that Draco understood something that he didn't, but it was all too much for him to comprehend.

Draco's sudden movement startled them both as he pulled off his shirt. "Move," ordered Draco.

"What are you doing?" Ron demanded, standing up to block Draco's way.

"No, Ron. Let him pass," said Harry, taking an anxious step backward. Ron apprehensively stepped away from Draco and Hermione.

Without hesitation, Draco scooped Hermione into his arms and slid down into the corner, pulling her head to his bare chest. "Give me your robe," Draco commanded Ron. Ron glanced at Harry and removed his outer robe, handing it to Draco. Draco draped it over Hermione and wrapped his arms around her. "Hermione… it's Draco."

Hermione stayed limp in his arms, her eyes open and vacant.

"Put out the light," Draco instructed. Ron was looking more and more confused and frustrated. It felt to him that Draco was playing a game that he couldn't even begin to understand. With no ideas himself, Ron complied and flicked the deluminator, pulling all the light back into it. As soon as the darkness returned, they heard her whimper.

"Hermione…" Draco spoke softly.

"Draco…?" Hermione asked.

Harry and Ron gasped, unable to see her now that their eyes were still adjusting to the dark. They exchanged glances, only seeing outlines of one another.

"Yes. It's Draco," He said, running a hand over her hair. "Hermione… We're in the cellar, aren't we?"

Hermione nodded against his chest.

"Why…?" he whispered. "Why would you come back here?"

Hermione pressed her face hard into his chest. "Because there's no where else to go…." Her voice was high in her despair as she teetered on the edge of tears.

"There are a million places to go," Draco whispered into her hair. "Why here?"

"Because we've changed… You were right. We've changed too much and we can never go back. There's just no place for us anymore…" Her body quivered as she came closer to crying.

"No. We've changed. We've changed and we can never be who we were before they put us here. But you were right, we will keep changing. We'll keep healing and the world will change with us. I was wrong Hermione, there is a place for us in the world. There will always be a place in this world for you… and me," Draco's voice was soothing as he held her close.

Harry and Ron looked on them, unable to truly comprehend what was happening, but the pain was so real, the visions so harsh that Harry and Ron could feel it. They looked on their friend, so weak and haunted in Draco's arms and could see for the first time just how hurt she'd really been. They were not present when she was rescued. They never saw the chamber or the state that the two of them were in. But now, here, they could almost see the chamber walls and how trapped Hermione still was. They could see and feel the pain that Hermione and Draco were trying to overcome.

"I just can't do this. I try and I try but I just can't put this behind me. I just keep coming back. They just keep coming for me. I just don't have the strength to get out. They've taken it all," Hermione's tears finally broke free, running down her cheeks and Draco's firm chest.

"We've already escaped. You can never lose the memories, but you can push past them. They haven't taken your strength. They never did. You're so strong Hermione," Draco said earnestly.

"I can't do this… I can't do this alone," Hermione cried.

"You don't have to. You're not alone. You never have been," Draco stated, trying to look into her eyes. Hermione kept her head to his chest, denying him her eyes.

"You left me," she cried. Her body shook with sobs. She was so hurt by him, but she could only push closer, unable to imagine the pain if she were to pull away even an inch. "You promised me…"

"I had to leave, Hermione. I had no choice. But I didn't leave you," Draco said vehemently. "I told you I would send you an owl. I was going to see you first thing in the morning. I know what I promised. So long as I have a choice, so long as you want me, I won't leave you."

"I can't do this alone," she repeated.

"I know. And you don't have to. We're in this together, remember?" Draco said. "But I'm not the only one who is here for you. You have so many people who care for you."

"Hermione…" Harry spoke softly, afraid that even his normal speaking voice could break her in her frail state. "Hermione, you know we're here for you, don't you? You know that we love you. We never meant to hurt you." Harry waited for a reply, but she looked as though she didn't even know he was there. Harry looked at Draco, his eyes pleading. He didn't know what to do.

"Hermione, you know that I want to be here for you. You know that I want to be strong for you, but you have to know that I can't promise that I always will be. You know that I have a trial… I know you need me and I'll be here all I can. But you have to learn to trust others as well. You're friends are here for you," Draco said, his voice so soft it was almost like a breeze.

"But they don't understand. They can't understand," Hermione cried.

"And they'll never fully understand. But that doesn't mean that they don't want to try. They are trying. You have to give them a chance. They can't help if you don't let them try," Draco urged.

"I'm beyond help anymore."

"You're not. It still hurts, but you are healing. You smiled today. You laughed. We had fun, all of us. The world will never be what it was, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. We're still alive. We still know how to laugh, how to smile, how to love. And after all this, we can appreciate it all the more." Draco ran his hand down her jaw and lifted her chin to look at her. "We've been through the worst. We've hit the bottom. Now there's no where left to go but up."

Hermione nodded against his chest. Draco paused, breathing in the scent of her hair. She sat against him silently, listening to his heartbeat.

"Are you ready to leave?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded again. "Forever now, Hermione. You're not to come back here anymore."

"I want to leave," Hermione said to him.

"They're waiting for you, you know. Ron and Harry are here waiting for you," Draco said, looking up at Harry as Harry stared back at him.

"I know…" Hermione said, one last tear sliding down her cheek.

"They're not angry," Draco said, making sure she understood. "They're here because they're worried about you."

"But they don't understand…" Hermione repeated.

"Then explain it to them," Draco urged.

Hermione took a deep cleansing breath and lifted her head a few inches off of Draco's chest.

"Come on..." Draco said.

Hermione turned her head, looking at Harry and Ron for the first time since they arrived. Both boys had tears in their eyes, unable to speak. They didn't know what to say. They were afraid a single word could break her.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

"No," Ron said, falling to his knees by her side, tears leaking down his freckled cheeks. "Hermione, I'm sorry. We're sorry. We really didn't understand."

Harry slowly came to kneel by her as well. "We didn't know… We knew you were hurting, but you were right, we didn't understand the extent of it. I don't know that we ever will, but we will try. And Draco… We didn't know that either. We were told you held her captive… we didn't know that you suffered too. We…" Harry stopped, his mind searching for just what he meant to say.

"We didn't know what you did," Ron continued in Harry's silence. "We were sure that you were just using her… We're sorry – to both of you."

Harry nodded solemnly. "Sorry," he whispered, wanting his apology to come straight from his mouth instead of Ron committing it for him.

Draco nodded in a gesture of acceptance. The seconds ticked past, no one wanting to be the next to speak. A couple minutes went by before Ron broke the silence. "Let's go home," he said, standing up and offering his hand to Hermione. Hermione looked up at Ron and glanced at Draco in question. "Yeah, he's coming to," Ron said with a small smile. Hermione looked as if she were ready to cry again as she reached up and took Ron's hand.

Carefully he helped her to her feet and wrapped her in a warm hug. "Forgive me, Hermione. I'd never mean to hurt you."

"I know," she whispered against his chest. At those two tiny words, Ron squeezed her tighter, Hermione giving the smallest chuckle.

Draco felt a small soft smile tug at his lips and he turned to stand up. He jumped a little when he turned and saw that Harry had his hand extended to him, an offer to help him to his feet. Surprised and uncertain, it took Draco a couple seconds to respond. But Harry held his hand out steady and patient. Draco accepted this gesture and was helped to his feet. He nodded and dusted off his pants, feeling better to avoid eye contact. He started looking around for his shirt in confusion. As he turned around he jumped again. His dark blue sweater was being offered to him by Ron. Draco gave another nod of gratitude and turned his shirt right side out.

Ron pulled out the deluminator once again and filled the room with light. Almost as soon as he did, Harry and Ron's eyes fell upon Draco's scars for the first time. The scar on his chest was thick and raised, and as soon as his left arm moved they saw the large patch of scar tissue where his dark mark once was. They looked away partly out of courtesy, but mostly out of shame. They had gotten him all wrong.

"Okay, let's go," said Draco, fully dressed once more and handing Ron his robe back. Ron nodded and began putting his outer robe on once more.

"Wait," said Harry, taking a step closer, looking Hermione straight in the eye. "I'll do it."

It took Hermione only a second to realize what Harry was referring to and her body began to shake with dry sobs in her disbelief and gratitude. Draco looked at her in concern and Harry in accusing question. "Really?" Hermione asked in earnest.

Harry nodded. "I'll testify. I won't lie. And I can't testify on hearsay. But if I'm true to justice, then I'll testify on his behalf."

"Oh, Harry, thank you!" Hermione cried, throwing her arms around his neck. Harry held her tightly. She meant something much different to him now. He had always seen her as strong and resilient. She had made it through so much. But now, after seeing her this night, he saw her in a whole different light. She looked so weak and frail, but she was still here. Seeing the pain she held within, he finally understood all the pain she'd been hiding since the day he met her and she suddenly seemed stronger and more resilient than she ever had before.

"This is wonderful. This is it. You really have a case now. There's no way they can send you to Azkaban!" Hermione threw her arms around Draco, but pulled back in confusion as he stood stiff and did not return her affection. He was glaring hard at Harry and Hermione looked confused between the two of them.

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, but it's not fair what you're doing to her," Draco said callously.

"What do you mean?" Harry's voice was deep but he tried as hard as he could to not get angry with the blond again.

"You and I both know that death eaters don't get off that easy," Draco said. "It's not fair that you allow her hopes to get so high."

"You'd rather I crush them?" Harry asked caustically. Ron, usually one to step right up behind Harry, was beginning to watch Harry and Draco nervously.

"I'd rather you be realistic so that they don't get crushed so hard later," Draco said, his voice forced flat.

"I don't think I'm being unrealistic," Harry said with a tiny bite to his voice.

"You and I both know that death eaters don't get off," Draco said, his jaw tightening. He did not feel like arguing, but he refused to let him convince Hermione that everything was going to be sunshine and daisies.

"But that's where you're wrong," said Harry. "She says you have a case and I agree. You wouldn't be the only death eater that has changed sides and get off for it."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked. He was honestly curious, but his curiosity did not quell his irritation.

"Severus Snape. Dumbledore stood up for him and told the court that he switched sides before the end of the war and started working for the other side with great risk to himself. He never went to Azkaban," Harry said.

"Great example," Draco spat sarcastically, his calm state now gone. Harry had hit a sensitive nerve. "The man gets off and murders the man that stood up for him. Do you really think the court will make that mistake again?"

"It wasn't a mistake," Harry said. "Severus Snape killed Dumbledore by his own request." Hermione gasped and covered her mouth. Harry had never told her this.

"You're loony! I was there!" Draco shouted. "The man was disarmed and pleaded with Snape and Snape killed him!"

"I was there too," said Harry. "Dumbledore was already dying. He knew months in advance that it was your duty to kill him. He asked Snape to save you by killing him himself. Dumbledore felt sorry for the position you were in and didn't want you to be forced to make the decision. So when he pleaded with Snape, it was so that Snape would do as he promised." Draco stared at Harry in confusion. It didn't make sense to him. "I was on the rooftop. I saw you disarm him, and then I saw you lower your wand. You weren't going to do it if Snape did or not. That's what I know and that's what I'll testify to. If Snape and Dumbledore thought you were worth saving, then I'm not going to let their sacrifices go to waste."

Draco just stood there gaping. "Even if I do believe you, what makes you so certain the court will?" Draco asked. His voice was still a little hard, but he was more desperately curious at this point, his own hope rising higher than he would have let it.

"I have Snape's memories to prove it," Harry said. "And they'll have my testimony about what I saw take place on the Astronomy Tower."

"And that's it? You think that you thinking you saw me lower my wand is going to make up for everything?" Draco asked, angry that his hopes were continuing to rise.

"That's not it. You have Hermione's and Fred's testimony to your actions at Malfoy Manor and Ginny as a character witness," Harry said.

Draco still looked angry, not wanting to believe that this meant anything.

"Look," said Harry heatedly. "I never wanted or tried to take advantage of being famous and influential. If I could give it up, I would," Harry stated fiercely, wanting to make sure that this point was very clear. "But the truth is I am. They called me a hero as a baby, and this second war I somehow became a poster child for all things against Voldemort. If _I_, the 'savior of the wizarding world,' get up there and say that you were pressured into Voldemort's service by threat and you denied him twice, If I get up there and say that I saw you lower your wand and that you had no real intention of ever murdering Dumbledore, If I get up there and say that you changed sides, before the war ended, with great risk to your own life, then you're getting off! So stop your bloody sulking," Harry snapped.

Draco stood there blinking in disbelief. He honestly didn't know what to do or say. He didn't even know how he should feel about it yet. Harry certainly seemed confident, but did that really mean that he should allow himself that kind of hope?

"Let's go," Ron said, desperately wanting to leave before any more shouting could be done. "The Order's all probably waiting for us."

Each of them removed their wands, prepared to apparate when Ron added one last thing. "The house will be packed, so apparate to the garden so you don't fall on someone." Hermione chuckled and shook her head and disapparated.

* * *

**So... What do you think? Please let me know. This was a very different kind of chapter for me and I'd really like your opinions.**

**Oh, and to answer one of the reviews. I have no idea how long this story will be yet. I have a bit of an idea where it's going and how it will end, but I don't know just how long it will take to get there. As many chapters as it takes and not one more.  
**

**Please review!**


	11. Doted

Breakfast the next morning had returned to being a quiet affair. An occasional word was spoken, but it lacked excitement. They also seemed to lack enthusiasm for the meal as they ate much slower than they normally would. The silence was filled with uncertain tension from the night before and mourning for their canceled quidditch match.

When they returned to the Burrow the night before, Mrs. Weasley had quite a few fierce words with Harry and Ron before she sent them to their room. Harry felt even guiltier than he already had because he had never before been disciplined by Mrs. Weasley and it stung him deeply to have disappointed her. Another part of their punishment was that Mrs. Weasley confiscated their brooms for the rest of the week. Ron wanted to point out that they were adults, but knew better than to press anymore buttons.

When word of the broom punishment came, Ginny and Charlie insisted that the game was still on, three-a-side. But their numbers were cut again when Fred and George informed the family that they were going to be spending the day fixing up Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for its Grand Re-Opening. Charlie was becoming frustrated, but insisted that two-a-side quidditch would still be alot of fun. It wasn't until they received an owl from Bill saying that he wouldn't be able to make it, that the quidditch match was officially canceled.

"Oh, buck up, Ginny," said Fred. "We'll play again soon. Maybe even tonight after dinner."

"Yeah, a night game! We could have Ron use his put-outer thing to gives us some light," replied George.

"I know we'll play soon. I'm over it," Ginny said, although she really didn't look all that convincing.

"So how bad _is_ the shop?" Charlie asked.

"It's in shambles," answered George. "The death eaters really did a number on it."

"Our flat looks even worse, but that part can wait," Fred stated.

"Our products aren't really too damaged though. The ones on the shelves were thrown around quite a bit, rather messy, but our stock room just had the boxes overturned. Those ones aren't damaged at all," George continued.

"In other words, if we manage to clean up and repair the shop, we should have enough products to re-open either tomorrow or Tuesday," Fred explained.

"And then we'll set to work on fixing up the flat," said George.

"No more fighting for the bathroom," Fred and George said together.

"Well, we really ought to be going," Fred announced, standing up from the table.

"Don't sulk too much," said George. "If you get too bored, you can always play shuntbumps."

"What?!" Mrs. Weasley demanded. At this Fred and George disapparated.

"He was just joking, Mum," Ginny said.

"So what are we going to do today?" asked Ron.

"Well, since quidditch was canceled, I offered to go up to the Lovegoods' place and help them do some rebuilding and cleaning up," said Charlie.

"I know we're being punished, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "But do you think we could go and help also?"

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips in thought. Harry looked like a pathetic wounded puppy, not for show, but because he really did feel miserable about how disappointed she was in him. Mrs. Weasley must have seen this for she softened. "Of course you boys can. That's very kind of you."

"I might go too," said Ginny. "It will be nice to see Luna."

Hermione looked at Draco in question and everyone else followed. Draco felt a little uncomfortable as he didn't realize they were taking turns defining plans.

"Um, actually I decided that I'm going to Diagon Alley today," said Draco.

"What?" Ginny, Charlie and Mrs. Weasley asked together.

"Well, seeing as how the only thing I own is a wand, I thought I should go get some things. Clothes at least," Draco said, looking down at the light blue handmade jumper that had the letter 'F' on it. He had a feeling that Fred and George picked the clothes that would look most amusing on him.

"Draco, I don't think any of us feel very comfortable with you walking around Diagon Alley right now," Mrs. Weasley said gently. She usually felt unnaturally comfortable telling people what to do and, even more, what not to do, but Draco was still different. "If you really need a new set of robes, I have a catalog you can look through and I'm sure Madam Malkin has your measurements on file. I'd be happy to pick them up for you."

"I really appreciate the offer Mrs. Weasley, but I think I'd really like to go out myself. It's been over a year now since I've last seen Diagon Alley. And I'm sure my measurements have changed since then anyway," Draco added to decline more politely.

"Draco," Charlie said, sounding much more frank. "You know that we're just worried for your safety."

"And I really appreciate it, but I'm really not concerned. It's very public. I don't think that anyone would do anything there. The funeral incident was only because the kid thought I was going to attack. And I'm sure most people won't recognize me right away when I'm wearing this," Draco said, gesturing again to the 'F' sweater and beige corduroy pants. The family still looked skeptical. "I'll have my wand and I'll disapperate at the first sign of trouble," he assured.

"And I'll be there," said Hermione. Everyone looked over at her, almost forgetting she was there. "I don't have any of my own clothes either. I think the trip is a good idea."

Draco smiled at her while the others still seemed slightly concerned.

"They'll be fine. With them together, they'll both be safer," said Harry, surprising them all.

Hermione's face lit up. "Well, we should probably be going then," Hermione said quickly before anyone could think of any more protests. "We'll be back before dinner."

"Dinner?!" shouted Ron, unhappy about just how long they planned to be gone. But Hermione ignored him, taking Draco's hand and disapparating.

"Want me to tail them?" asked Charlie seriously.

Ginny sighed and slapped Charlie playfully on the arm. "They'll be fine."

Draco and Hermione apparated directly onto the steps of Gringotts, staring out at the busy bustling street that was Diagon Alley. "Wow," said Draco. "I can't remember the last time I was here… it's really changed." Draco looked around at the many store fronts that were still boarded up. But many were already re-open and others were in the process of repair.

"I do," said Hermione. "It's been awhile."

"You remember when _I_ was last here? Or did you mean you?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Well I remember your last time here too, but I was referring to me," Hermione chuckled.

Draco looked at her funny, wondering how she knew when he was last there.

"You were last here August 31st, 1996. It was the day before sixth year. But I'm sure it's not a day you'd like to remember," Hermione said, realizing it must have been a hard day for him.

"How do know?" Draco asked with concern, his stomach churning.

"Harry decided that we should tail you and your Mother to Borgin and Burkes…" Hermione admitted with shame.

Draco stiffened.

"I'm sorry," Hermione apologized. "It was terrible of us."

"No," said Draco. "You should have just dug deeper. Might have stopped me…"

"No regrets," Hermione said. "A little change of any kind could have changed everything completely, but that doesn't necessarily mean in a good way. Things are okay now."

Draco took a deep breath and nodded. "I need to go to Gringotts before we start shopping," he said, desiring to put it all behind him.

"Me too," said Hermione, taking Draco's hand. Draco smiled and walked up the stairs and through the grand double doors into the rotunda. No matter how many times she went there, Hermione was always surprised by the size of the place. Draco led them over to the first available goblin.

"Yes?" the goblin asked as though they were interrupting his business.

"My name is Draco Malfoy. I need to access my vault," Draco said, looking around to make sure no one else heard him. He really didn't like flashing his name around.

"Yes," the goblin said, flipping through a large book in front of him. "Mr. Malfoy. Wand please?"

Draco handed over his wand and the goblin examined it. Hermione looked on curiously.

"Okay, Mr. Malfoy, which of your vaults would you like to access today?" the goblin asked.

Draco looked confused. "I only have one," he replied. "Vault 1142."

"Ah, yes. Okay. Is there anything else we can do for you today?"

"I'd like to set up an appointment to go over my investments," Draco said.

"Would tomorrow be okay, sir? Eleven o'clock?"

"Yes, thank you," Draco agreed.

"Is that all?"

"Um, no," he said, gesturing to Hermione.

"My name is Hermione Granger and I also need to access my vault," Hermione said as she took a step forward.

"Miss Granger…" the goblin said aloud as he flipped through his book again. "Vault 239. Do you have your key?"

"Um, no. It's been lost…" Hermione said nervously.

"Finger?" the goblin asked, holding out his hand.

"E-excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"Your hand, please," the goblin requested, a little annoyed as though she were wasting his time.

"Blood sample," explained Draco. "Just a prick."

Hermione nodded and placed her hand in the goblin's long thin fingers. A tiny needle pricked her finger and he smeared a green piece of paper over the droplet.

"Okay, Miss Granger. The lock to your vault has just been changed. Here is your new key and it is expected that you care for it better as the next time will cost. Dregab will take you to your vaults," The goblin handed Hermione her new key and gestured for them to follow a board-chested disgruntled little goblin. Draco smirked at the angry little creature and followed it, Hermione right behind him, through a door behind the counter. Following the dark stone corridor down, they came to a set of tracks where Dregab whistled for a cart.

Draco offered Hermione his hand to help her into the cart. Her stomach got butterflies as she waited for the ride to begin. It reminded her very much of Muggle rollercoasters, the old wooden ones that rattled and shook. It was exhilarating but it still made her anxious. The goblin spoke the number of Draco's vault and the cart took off on it own accord. Hermione gripped the side of the cart with one hand and Draco's arm with the other. Draco smirked, looking quite undisturbed.

The ride went on for much longer than she was used to. They were only in it for a few seconds, but a few seconds was usually all it took to get to her vault. The path was extremely winding going much deeper than she imagined. She tried to keep track of the numbers on the walls, but they were just going too fast. Hermione looked ahead and became startled to see a large waterfall ahead and it appeared as though they would go right through it. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and clung to Draco. Seconds passed and Hermione sat up confused as she hadn't gotten wet. When she turned around she saw that the waterfall was behind her but she was completely dry.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Revealing Waterfall," said Draco. "Protection against those who are hiding anything."

Hermione gasped and clung to Draco again. "I-is that a dragon?"

Draco chuckled as they passed a sleeping dragon that snorted smoke from his nose as they passed. "Surely you've heard that Gringotts has dragons?" Draco asked.

"Just rumors…" said Hermione. "Just how far-?" Before Hermione could finish her question, it was answered. The cart came to a very sudden stop, causing Hermione and Draco to lurch forward.

"Vault number 1142," the goblin announced. He exited the cart with his lamp and Draco followed. Hermione stared up at the ancient looking vault door. Hermione looked at it for a keyhole, but it had none. Draco waited a few paces away as the goblin stroked the door with one long thin finger. As he did this, the door just dissolved leaving the vault wide open without a door. Hermione's eyes widened and lips fell open as she looked upon more gold than she had ever imagined being in one place. The entire vault was filled with mountains of gold galleons and a small stack of silver and bronze in one corner. She quickly turned her head away. If was rude to ask about someone's money, it had to be even more rude to look upon it. Hermione waited patiently. When she heard a loud clang of metal, she looked back around to see Draco headed toward her, the door back in place on his vault, and a small leather pouch in his hand that looked rather heavy. He tied the leather bag to his belt loop, as it was too big to fit in his pocket, and climbed back into the cart. Before Hermione could even adjust or say a word, the cart was racing along the way they had come. This time Hermione decided that it might be better to just keep her eyes closed.

Hermione almost hit her head on the side of the cart as it came to a sudden stop. "Vault 239," Dregab announced. Hermione climbed over Draco and her legs felt a little wobbly as she followed the goblin to the door of her vault. "Key, please."

Hermione handed him her key and felt her stomach plummet as she looked into her own vault. It was much emptier than it used to be. Inside her vault was just a small table which held about 200 galleons and beside it, muggle paper money adding up to £200. Usually her vault held the equivalent of £2000, but when she sent her parents away, she made sure to keep only emergency money in it. She wanted to make sure that her parents had all their money in their possession in case she didn't make it through the end of the war. But she had never considered that she would make it through the war but have lost all her possessions. Sighing to herself, she picked up a little leather sack on the table and added about eighty pieces of gold and most of the British Pounds. She glanced back at Draco who politely had his head turned and shoved the bag into her pocket. Hermione situated herself next to Draco feeling a little embarrassed and held on as the cart took off again, this time only a short trip to the grand marble hall.

"Madam Malkin's?" Draco asked as they stepped into the light.

"I honestly don't know of any other shop to buy robes," Hermione admitted.

"No need to," said Draco. "She's the best."

"Alright then," Hermione agreed. Draco looked over at Hermione as they began walking and he felt as though he were looking at her for the very first time. He knew her well, better than he knew anyone, but he felt as if this was the first time he ever got to see he like this. He'd seen her in public, he got to know her in private, but this was the first time that he was out with her in public and it felt unusually different. He felt that it had to be the place. He had come to this street to shop since before he could remember, but he was such a different person then. He had always seen Hermione as a different kind of person. This street just shed light on how different they were as people, what different backgrounds they came from. At one time in his life he had felt disgusted that she had the nerve, being muggle-born, to enter that street at all, and now he felt honored just to walk next to her. The girl he teased for being ugly in school now looked beautiful with her bright smile and the sun shining off her unruly curls. Again it amazed him just how different the world appeared when he looked at it from a new perspective, and looking at the girl next to him he decided that he wished he had seen her like this much sooner.

A pleasant chime rang through the empty store as they entered. "Just a minute," a woman said in a sing-song voice. A squat little witch with fly-away brown hair stepped in with a bright smile. "And what can I do for you today?" she asked.

"We're here to buy some casual robes," said Draco.

Madam Malkin gasped when she recognized him but forced herself to keep smiling, blinking a little more than usual. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy. Why don't we take you around the corner to get measured? Are you getting robes also, dear?" she asked Hermione. When Hermione nodded, the woman waved her around the corner also. No sooner than Hermione stood on one of the stools than a tape measure flew from Madam Malkin's apron pocket and began measuring every piece of her, around the collar, her inseam, around her wrists. The measurements all seemed out of order in her mind, but Madam Malkin seemed completely undisturbed, pinning a set of robes that were hanging on a dummy, as a quill wrote down all the measurements for her on their own accord. It reminded her very much of Rita Skeeter's Quick Quotes Quill. She only hoped that this quill was more accurate. As soon as both Hermione and Draco's measuring tapes curled up and hopped back into the woman's apron, Madam Malkin stood up and took the paper and quill into her hands.

"Will you need time to browse, or do you already know what you're looking for?" she asked, still looking slightly anxious at Draco.

"I think I'd like to look at your catalog," said Draco.

"On the counter," Madam Malkin pointed in its direction. "And you dear?"

"I think I'm just going to go with a standard black robe and an 'A' style deep violet," Hermione said simply.

"That's it?" asked Draco, looking up from the catalog. "You lose your entire wardrobe and you're getting two robes?"

Madam Malkin looked over at Hermione with concern and curiosity. Hermione looked extremely embarrassed and bashful and Draco felt sorry for putting her on the spot like that.

"I tend to stick with muggle clothes still," Hermione said quietly. Madam Malkin looked irked by this comment and Hermione could only imagine that it must have something to do with the sudden muggle fashion that was sweeping among the younger generations. It was probably hurting business.

"Well, I'm still going to be a minute," Draco said apologetically.

"It's okay, I'll just look around," Hermione smiled.

Draco flipped through the catalog, a slightly sick feeling in his stomach, and he kept looking over his shoulder at Hermione as she browsed.

"Okay," said Draco. Madam Malkin took out her quill and leaned on the counter, ready to write down his order.

"I need five pair of black slacks, three of these style robes, two in black one in grey, another grey one in this style, this style in black and midnight blue. Now… shirts…" Draco continued on, Madam Malkin seeming a little overwhelmed, but her smile growing with the size of his order. "Alright, what does that come to?" Draco asked in a slightly lower voice.

"Well now, if we include the shoes then… 643 galleons," Madam Malkin said, her smile even larger.

"Add hers," Draco added.

"713," she replied.

Draco glanced over his shoulder at Hermione again. "I think she likes that powder blue one as well, so please add that to hers."

"749. But can I interest you in-?"

"I think that's enough for one trip," said Draco. "Please take it from my account."

Madam Malkin placed the work order on the counter and Draco signed it, added his vault number and a special spell with his wand.

"Okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Malfoy. I think I should be able to have your order ready in five days," Madam Malkin said, positively beaming at this point.

"No, that won't do. How much to have it expedited?" Draco asked.

"Well… when did you want them?" Madam Malkin asked uncertainly.

"Tomorrow," Draco said simply. Madam Malkin's eyes popped in disbelief.

"Well now, M-Mr. Malfoy…" she chuckled uncomfortably. "That's really quite impossible to-"

"Would 100 galleons cover it alright?" Draco asked, pulling the work order back toward himself.

"Y-yes, I think that might cover it alright," Madam Malkin said in surprise. It had been ages since she had such a large order, and 100 extra galleons just to rush the order was much more than she'd ever dream of requesting. Draco added an extra 100 galleons to the work order and signed again.

"Have a nice day," Draco said. "You ready?" he asked Hermione.

"Oh," said Hermione. "I just need to pay for my order."

"Already taken care of," Draco said. "So where to next?"

"Wait. What do you mean 'already taken care of'?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowing.

"I mean I took care of it while I was up there," Draco said, not understanding why she seemed upset.

"You paid for my robes?" Hermione asked angrily.

"Yes," said Draco, becoming slight annoyed by her tone.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because I wanted to. What's the problem?"

"I'm not a charity case," Hermione said heatedly. Madam Malkin looked a rather uncomfortable and went into the back room. "That's why you did it, isn't it? Because you saw my vault?"

"No," said Draco angrily. "Well, yes I did, but I did it just to be nice. I still don't see what the problem is. Guys buy things for…for the girls their…with, all the time," Draco said, feeling a little uncomfortable saying this as he and Hermione never officially put a label on their relationship.

"Guys buy girls flowers or chocolates, not a whole new wardrobe," Hermione argued.

"A couple of robes is hardly a whole new wardrobe," protested Draco. "And besides, I don't think this has anything to do with what I bought you. This just has to do with how much it costs, doesn't it?"

Hermione looked to the side, looking rather bitter.

"Hermione, I don't mean to go flashing my money in your face, but I know you saw my vault. I have more than enough to get whatever I want. Those robes may seem like a lot to you, but it's just like loosing a couple knuts on the street to me. It's _really_ not a big deal."

"I just don't want you to think that you have to take care of me like that. I'm not after your money," Hermione insisted.

"I know you're not, and you're making that even clearer now as no one's ever turned down a gift or money from me before. I just did it to be nice. But if it really upsets you that much then you can pay me back. I wish you wouldn't. I wish you just knew how to accept a gift, but if you have to pay me back then fine," Draco said, looking extremely frustrated.

"I didn't mean to insult you," said Hermione.

"And I didn't mean to insult you," Draco insisted.

Hermione sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry. I guess I really am making a big deal out of this. I'm just not used to having someone dote on me."

"So we can just put this behind us?" Draco asked.

"Yes. But I'm at least buying you an ice cream today then," Hermione stated.

Draco gave her a lopsided smile and nodded. "Fair enough."

"So where to next?" Hermione asked.

"I thought it might be nice to visit Flourish and Blotts, there's a book I'm interest in," said Draco. "What do you think?"

Hermione smiled. Whether he really wanted to go or not, she had a feeling that he suggested it as their next stop to cheer her up further. "I would never say no to a bookstore."

"Good," said Draco holding the door open for her.

* * *

**Just a sweet little outing together. Something light to follow the drama of last chapter. This chapter was originally twice as long, but I had to split it into this chapter and the next because it was alot longer than i originally expected. So the Diagon Alley trip will continue tomorrow. Which works good for me because it gives me more time to write. It's hard punching out one chapter a day... ^^ But it's fun. **

**I hope you're enjoying it. Thank you again for the wonderful reviews! Please keep them coming!**

**Please Review! Please?**


	12. Misinterpreted

"So what book are you looking for?" Hermione asked, starting down the cobbled street toward Flourish and Blott's.

"Well, I'm not sure that they'll even have it," Draco admitted. "I've never looked in the muggle section before."

Hermione looked even more curious. "What book?"

Draco looked moodily embarrassed. "Don't laugh."

"Well I can't promise that," said Hermione. "But I've read just about everything, so I can't imagine a book that would surprise me."

"Tales from the Brothers Grimm," Draco said quietly.

"Really?" Hermione asked excitedly. "You really liked Hansel and Gretel then?"

"It's really interesting. I think it'd be neat to know what tales muggle-borns grew up with," Draco admitted.

"Well, I really hate to break it to you, but Flourish and Blott's don't carry books like that. They carry a couple of really popular muggle titles. But the muggle section is more about muggle living," Hermione said. "You'd need to go to a muggle bookstore for that."

Draco looked both embarrassed and disappointed.

"But I'm going to muggle London very soon for some new clothing," stated Hermione. "I could pick it up for you then."

"I thought you were getting clothes today," said Draco, stopping along the road since they no longer needed to go to Flourish and Blott's. "Don't you just go to that shop that sells muggle clothes?" he asked, referring to the 'Muggle Treasures' shop in Diagon Alley.

"That's just where pure-bloods and half-bloods get muggle clothes. Most muggle-borns still shop in muggle shops. Though Diagon Alley sells some muggle clothes, it's still not the same. Wizards don't usually follow muggle fashions. Anyone that's not muggle-born usually pick... mmm _odd_ combinations."

"How so?" Draco asked.

"It's hard to explain... They just match patterns that muggles usually don't. And wizards tend to have styles that are a few decades behind muggle times..." Hermione admitted sheepishly.

"Really?" Draco asked. "So you can tell someone's blood status by the clothes they wear?"

"Sometimes. You're obviously strict pure-blood. And whether you realize it or not. Your regular clothes are muggle inspired. Wizards took collared shirts and trousers from muggles."

"This I know," said Draco. "When I was in first year I demanded my parents let me wear Hogwarts uniform trousers and shirts instead of full traditional robes. Some of the mudbl- muggle-borns accused the traditional dressed slytherins of wearing dresses. My parents were less than pleased. My father never wore a single pair of trousers."

Hermione chuckled at this. "Well, your collared shirts and simple black trousers are what muggles might call business casual. It's rather formal looking for average wear. Any wizard who wears this on the street is definitely pure-blood. The Weasley children are more casual. What you're wearing right now," Hermione said, gesturing to Draco's corduroy pants and handmade sweater. "Is usually something that a half-blood or relaxed pure-blood family might wear. The Weasleys also wear patterns that would fit more in muggle society in the 1970s. Muggle-borns usually stick to denim and modern fashions. Although Ginny informs me that blue jeans are catching on as a form of rebellion among those that denounce the old wizarding ways."

"Well, that settles it then," Draco said, impressed by Hermione's explanation. "We're going to muggle London. I'm going to break the pure-blood mold."

Hermione chuckled. "Really?"

"You've got to help me though," Draco said, looking rather embarrassed again. "I've never been in a muggle area before last night with Ron and Harry. We were just there for a few minutes and it was rather... overwhelming."

"It's an adventure then," smiled Hermione. "You'll be fascinated. But we will need to go back to Gringotts to change your money. Muggles have never seen Gold Galleons."

"Let's go then," Draco said starting back up the road toward Gringotts.

"So you're really interested in getting real muggle clothes then?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you'll have to help me. I don't want to look a fool," said Draco.

"I'll make you look sharp," Hermione assured. "Summer's on it's way though. I know I'm going to be buying shorts and tank tops. I'm not sure though... That might be rather a large jump for you... Draco?" Hermione stopped, realizing that Draco was no longer beside her. "Draco?" she said, slightly more panicked as she searched the busy street. She smiled when she saw him. He had been distracted; the quidditch supply store seemed to have pulled him to it like a magnet. Hermione shook her head in amused exasperation. "Boys..." She walked back to him where he was staring longingly at the brooms in the window.

"Man, I really need a new broom..." Draco said. Hermione chuckled silently to herself. He looked so cute. He was usually so stiff and calloused, even around her. She knew that there was alot more underneath, but it rarely showed on the surface. But somehow, today he seemed different. Maybe it was the place, perhaps Diagon Alley just loosened him up. But whatever it was, she could actually see the boy she knew in his whole demeanor and not just what hid in his eyes. He was relaxed and comfortable.

"Looking at the Firebolt?" Hermione asked, looking at the elegant-looking racing broom proudly displayed in the front of the window.

"Hn," Draco sneered. "Potter can keep his Firebolt. I'm a Nimbus supporter, through and through. I'm looking at the new Nimbus Sweeper," Draco said, pointing to one of the brooms hanging up behind the Firebolt. "Firebolts are so flashy with all their bells and whistles, but the Nimbus feels sturdier, more solid. It's not so sensitive and dainty. Man, I'll never forget the day I got my Nimbus 2001..."

"Neither will I. You were so smug it was sickening," Hermione teased.

"Yeah, but you sure took me down a few notches, didn't you? Suggesting I bought my place on the team," reminded Draco. "For the record though, my father bought the brooms for the team _after_ I made the cut. Your remark was still quite a slap in the face though," he chuckled. "Though you really went and did that the year after." Draco laughed as he looked at her. He still couldn't believe that the girl he disliked so much now meant more to him than anyone.

"Merlin," Hermione gasped, bringing her fingers to her mouth. "I can't believe I forgot about that."

"You forgot slapping me in the face?" Draco said incredulously.

"Well when I think back to that day, that was hardly the most exciting thing that happened. But I still can't believe I forgot about that," she said, gently touching his cheek before bringing her hand back to her mouth.

"I still can't believe you had it in you," Draco replied.

"Well then that's a side of me that you're really not familiar with," Hermione chuckled a blush rising to her cheeks.

"What, you often go around slapping men?" Draco teased.

"Not often, although I did slap Ron last night. But I'm surprised that it took me as long as it did to snap and slap you. I'd been repressing that urge since first year," Hermione chuckled.

"Oh, well don't hold back now," Draco teased. "You can slap me anytime. I like a feisty woman," he said with a smirk.

"Ugh," Hermione scoffed, playfully hitting him on the arm.

"Not bad, but usually spankings are given a bit lower, and with a bit more feeling. But I guess you'd want to save that for the bedroom," Draco said lifting an eyebrow suggestively. To his surprise, Hermione didn't laugh or play. She looked wounded and insulted.

"Is that what you expect of me?" Hermione demanded bitterly. "You expect me to...?" Hermione looked down and to the side, her face contorted in with pain.

"Whoa, whoa, Hermione. It was a joke. Just a joke," Draco said, becoming stiff and cold again, his brow creased with frustration.

Hermione continued to look down, not uttering a single word.

"Hermione, look at me," Draco demanded, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look him in the eye. "I don't know exactly what it is we have going between us but I don't expect anything from it," he said with fierce solemnity, staring her deep in the eye that she might see the honesty of his words. "I don't expect anything of you. Whatever our relationship is, you mean everything to me and I would never do anything to hurt you. Whatever we have it certainly isn't ready for anything like that. Perhaps one day our relationship might grow in that direction, but it's much too soon to even _think_ about anything like that. It was just a joke. A poor one, obviously, but it was just a joke." Hermione stared up into his fierce grey eyes, her chest tight, fit to burst with how much more she had just fallen in love with him. "Hermione, I'm very sorry if I offended you... I love you."

If Hermione thought she was fit to burst a moment ago, she was certain she would now. He had always told her how much he cared for her, but that was the very first time he said those words. _I love you._ It repeated in her head and she stared at his lips with longing.

"Get off of her!" a voice bellowed. Before either of them could register what was happening, Draco was shoved forcefully into the brick wall of the quidditch shop. A body pressed roughly against his with a wand tip pressed into his throat.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Seamus Finnigan asked as he grabbed Hermione by the upper arm, pulling her away from Draco. Hermione looked over his shoulder where Dean Thomas had Draco forced against the wall.

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" Hermione shouted, trying to wriggle out of Seamus's tight hold.

"It's okay, Hermione. Dean's got him alright. Did he hurt you? Are you okay?" Seamus continued, obviously believing that she was only concerned for Dean's safety.

"I'm fine," Hermione said shortly. "Now stop it!"

"It's okay. We've got him. He won't hurt you," Seamus assured.

"Of course he won't! Let me go!" Hermione snapped.

"Back off, Thomas!" Draco growled. "Let her go, Finnigan!"

"Like hell," Dean said. "How dare you touch her like that!"

"Touch her like what?" Draco growled. "Get off me."

"Dean, Stop!" Hermione cried.

Dean looked over at Hermione in surprise. It was in this moment that Draco grabbed his wand from his pocket.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Seamus cried, disarming Draco and now holding his wand. "Nice try, Malfoy."

Hermione tried reaching for her own wand and Seamus looked at her confused.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Draco cried, his empty hand held out in Seamus's direction. The wands flew from Seamus's hand into Draco's. With his other arm, Draco hit Dean in the head with his elbow. Dean stumbled backward.

Dean lifted his wand quickly, pointing it at Draco with a fierce glint in his eye.

"No!" Hermione screamed.

"_Stupefy!_" Dean shouted.

Hermione had stepped in front of Draco, taking the stunning spell to her chest. Draco was able to catch her in his arms as she fell limp.

"_Expelli-_"

"_Expelliarmus!_" a new cry came from behind Dean, disarming Draco of both his wands as well as Dean's. "Wow, quite some excitement," Fred Weasley said, walking calmly over to the group of them from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, just across the street, the three wands, plus his own in his hands. It was easy to tell, even from where he was standing, which twin was which as Fred still hadn't cut his hair to match George's.

"Never a boring day, eh Malfoy?" George said.

"So what's going on?" Fred asked casually, stopping beside Dean.

"We saw Malfoy arguing with Hermione," Seamus explained, sneering at Draco.

"She hit him and he grabbed her by the chin," Dean continued.

"So why is she the one unconscious?" George asked in confusion.

"We pulled her away and pinned Malfoy, but the weasel managed to get my wand," Seamus growled in disgust.

"I tried to stun him and she got in the way," Dean finished.

"First, I'd appreciate you not insulting the weasel that way," Fred said, slightly insulted as the weasel is his family's namesake. "Second, care to explain, Malfoy?"

"I was just teasing her," Draco said simply, readjusting the limp body in his arms.

"Looked a little physical to just be teasing. But you have no business laying a single finger on her," Seamus spat.

"I was going to kiss her you fucktard," Draco snarled. Seamus and Dean looked completely stunned and disgusted.

"Wow, things getting serious between you two then..." George noted.

"Yeah," said Fred to Seamus and Dean's disbelief. "They're a new item it seems. What you two witnessed was probably just a new lovers' spat. And about time too. You guys were getting on so well it was sickening."

"No, they argued yesterday at dinner," reminded George.

"Well, that wasn't really an argument. Draco just stormed out," argued Fred.

"Wait, wait. _What?_" Dean said in complete confusion.

"They're together..." Fred said slowly as though Dean had a hard time with language.

"Well, I understand the confusion and disbelief," said George. "They are a rather surprising pair."

"Well, not really. Not when you think about it," Fred thought aloud. "Hermione has always attracted the hero type. I mean her best friends are the Scarred Savior and Wonder Red."

"Wonder Red... I think I like that," said George.

Draco, Seamus, and Dean kept looking between the twins as they talked. They talked so quickly and kept branching off in discussion that it was all they could do just to keep up.

"Ah, they're still confused," said George, looking at Dean and Seamus.

"Yeah, Malfoy here turned out to be a war hero. Rescuing his fair damsel here from the hands of the death eaters," Fred explained. "She kind of saved him too though, didn't she?" he mused.

"You know it's really not fair that the ferret's story isn't well known yet," George said to Fred. "Everyone else gets recognized. Even you were celebrated for being knocked unconscious in the last battle."

"It was a bit more than just being unconscious," Fred said defensively. "But they only know because of the paper. You think we should owl the prophet about him?"

"Yeah, but what would we call him? The Fanged Ferret?" George wondered.

"The Fierce Ferret?"

"Oh, the blue fire - We could call him the _Flaming_ Ferret."

"No. That makes him sound homosexual. The Wandless Wonder?"

"But Ron is _Wonder_ Red."

"Hmm, Maybe-"

"Hey, Guys," Draco interrupted. "Think you could just brake for a minute and revive her?"

"Oh, right," said George. "_Rennervate_."

Hermione moaned and opened her eyes, staring up into Draco's concerned face.

"You alright?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," she said, quickly remembering what happened. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they? What happened?" she rattled off quickly.

"She talks as fast as us," George smirked.

"Well, she looks fine, boys," declared Fred. "So here you go," Fred said as he handed Dean and Seamus back their wands. "And I suggest you get moving along before we end up making a bigger scene." Fred glanced around at the many people that had stopped to stare.

"Can you stand?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," said Hermione, but as soon as she put her weight on her feet, her knees buckled.

Without a word, Draco scooped her up into his arms.

"No, stop. I can walk," Hermione protested. "I just stood up wrong."

"Why don't you bring her in the shop?" Fred suggested, staring at all the onlookers.

"Nothing to see here people," George said to the group. "Hermione Granger just fainted. Her boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, is taking good care of her."

"Yeah," grumbled Draco. "Thanks George, but I think that's going to have the opposite effect," Draco glanced to the side as he followed the twins into their shop. Fred closed the door behind them.

"That was the point," said George. "If we're going to change your public image at all, we want to make sure people are getting the right idea of you."

"Hermione's the perfect tool for you to do that. She's part of the golden trio. Brilliant and innocent. Let them think of you as her hero, let her lead you around like her knight in shining armor, and the world is bound to start thinking of you in better light," explained Fred.

"I'm not going to _use_ Hermione," Draco growled, extremely insulted.

"Whoa there, tiger," said Fred. "We're not saying that that's why you're with her, but might as well take advantage."

"No, thank you," said Draco coldly.

"That is a bit cold, I guess," said George.

"Yeah, but we didn't mean it to be, Hermione," said Fred.

"I know," said Hermione. "No offense taken. Now can you please put me down, Draco?"

"Right." Draco set Hermione down on the dusty hardwood floor, the sound of her shoes echoing through the empty store. The room looked dim. All the shelves had been repaired and the mess cleaned, but the empty shelves made the shop look sad.

"I think we'll be ready to open tomorrow," informed George, noticing the two of them looking around.

"The flat is still completely destroyed but that can wait a week or so. We want to concentrate on opening the store," said Fred.

"But you need not concern yourself about that," said George. "You two should probably be heading back to the Burrow."

"Oh, but we still had some shopping to do," said Hermione.

"Not now," said Draco, glancing through a crack in the curtains at the large crowd outside. "Maybe tomorrow. Depends on what shows up in the papers..."

Hermione looked disappointed but nodded. They were having such an amazing time. It just didn't seem fair that things turned out the way they did.

* * *

**There ya go! What do you think? Poor Draco. Their relationship is going so well, but they still have so much to overcome. **

**Please tell me what you think. Please Review.**


	13. Scorned

Hermione and Draco apparated into the yard in front of the Burrow, both of them still a little shaken by the events that had taken place in Diagon Alley. Their day had seemed as though it were going so perfectly until then.

"Is there ever going to be a time that we can have just a normal day?" Hermione asked hopelessly.

Draco immediately envisioned himself in a cell in Azkaban. "Maybe someday…"

"Hopefully sooner than later," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Yeah…" Draco said, a heavy feeling in his stomach. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I was just stunned, Draco. I'm fine," Hermione replied in exasperation. "Oh no…"

Draco looked up and saw Harry and Ron outside the front door, both looking very serious and heading for them. Draco's heart began to pound and his stomach did a flop. Whatever they had to say, it wasn't good. Draco felt the sudden urge to just disapparate. He had had enough confrontation over the last few days and was not looking forward to more.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, meeting Harry and Ron near the door.

"Kingsley's here," Harry said flatly. "He wants to see Draco."

"What?!" Hermione cried.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt? The Minister?" Draco asked, his nerves prickling with anxiety.

"Is this about what happened in Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked quickly. "Because if it is, Draco didn't do anything! It was Dean and Seamus that-"

"Whoa! Wait!" shouted Ron. "What happened in Diagon Alley?!"

"Nothing…" Hermione said, feeling a little foolish. Of course the Minister wouldn't have heard about that yet. It only happened a few minutes ago. "Dean and Seamus thought that Draco was going to hurt me so they attacked him."

"And stunned her instead," Draco added angrily.

"But then what does Kingsley want with Draco then?" Hermione worried.

"I don't know," said Harry. "He wouldn't say. Are you okay, Hermione?"

"I'm fine. What do you mean he wouldn't say? He had to have said something," pressed Hermione.

"Nothing," said Ron. "He said he needed to speak to Draco and when we told him he wasn't here and that he might not be back until dinner, Kingsley said he'd wait. He's in the kitchen talking to Mum and Dad. When they saw you outside the window they asked us to come get you."

"Thanks…" said Draco, looking both moody and worried. Draco walked to the door, closed his eyes and turned the handle.

Hermione moved to follow him in but Harry put out his arm. "He said he needed to talk to him privately. We're not to come in."

"I-is this about his trial?" Hermione asked nervously.

"We really don't know," Ron said, worried for Draco but even more worried for Hermione.

Draco walked into the kitchen stiff and proud, his head held high.

"Draco," the Minister greeted, his voice deep and slow.

Draco stared up at the tall, bald black man. His shoulders were broad and his voice deep. He was quite an intimidating man, but Draco refused to let his features betray him. He would not let the man see that he was frightened.

"Minister," Draco greeted with a small cordial nod.

"Please, have a seat, Draco," Kingsley offered, gesturing to a chair near the end of the table next to Mrs. Weasley. Draco glanced at the chair and back up at Kingsley. He really didn't feel like sitting, it would make him feel even smaller than he already felt.

"It's okay, Draco," Mrs. Weasley said, reaching out and touching his arm. "Have a seat."

Draco looked down at the kindly woman and conceded. He sat down in the chair next to her, not taking his eyes off of the man next to him, but the Minister also sat down, taking the chair at the head of the table near Draco so that he could see him well.

"Well, Draco, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," Kingsley said softly. Draco had first been afraid of the man but was now thoroughly annoyed. The man was using his name in each sentence. He was most obviously patronizing him and he didn't appreciate it. Why was the man here? If he was trying to speak to him like he was five, then he certainly wasn't here about the trial. What else was there?

"It's because my parents are dead," Draco said callously, unable to believe that he had put it together so quickly. But that was the only reason. If he was right that this visit had nothing to do with his trial, then it had to be about his parents.

Mrs. Weasley gasped and looked at Kingsley and her husband.

"Draco, how do you know about your parents?" Kingsley asked quickly, leaning forward on the table, suddenly very stern.

"It makes sense," said Draco. "It's obvious you're not here about me, so then you're here about them. And I didn't realize until now, but the goblin at Gringotts told me when he asked which vault I wanted to see. I only have one personally. Well, until now. Am I right?"

Kingsley let out a sigh, sitting back in his chair. "I'm sorry, Draco…"

"How?" Draco asked flatly.

"We found your mother in a clearing in the forbidden forest two days ago. It looks like she was murdered by one of the death eaters or… Voldemort," Kingsley said slowly. "You father was caught breaking into a wizard home in Lincolnshire Fens last night. The woman of the house killed him when she tried to defend her husband…"

Draco just nodded. An uncomfortable silence followed.

"I'm sorry, but Minister," Mrs. Weasley said. "How did Gringotts know if it just happened last night? News of the death eaters has been very closely guarded. This is the first we heard on any of them ourselves," she said, gesturing to herself and Mr. Weasley.

"Well, one of the reasons I came today was because the Daily Prophet is going to be publishing the status on all known death eaters tomorrow. Not you of course. I thought it better that you find out from me first," Kingsley said to Draco. "I'm very sorry you had to find out from the bank first. We really have no part in that. Lucius Malfoy's will was imbued with magic so that when he died, his accounts change automatically over to his heir. That's actually a way that magical law enforcement sometimes finds exact time of death."

"There's been a mistake though," said Draco, his stare as cold as ice. "My father disowned me. I'm not his heir."

"Well if that's so, he did not change anything legally. Legally, you are his heir," said Kingsley.

"I don't want it," Draco snarled.

The minister sat back in his chair, straightening, somewhat surprised and offended by Draco's tone. "Well as I've said, we really have no part in that. Legally it is yours to do with as you wish. If you know of someone else he would have wanted to inherit in your place then you may work it out between you."

Draco was becoming more sour-looking by the moment. "Are we done now?"

"Not quite," said Kingsley, his voice becoming soft again. "We need to know your plans for your parents' bodies."

"I told you already. I'm not their son. I don't care what you do with them," Draco said fiercely, getting to his feet.

Kingsley sighed in gentle exasperation. "I know this must be hard for you, Draco, but as their son, it's your place to make arrangements."

"I told you – I'm not their son!" Draco shouted. "I don't care what you do with them. Burn them and dump their ashes somewhere. Throw them in a hole in the ground. I don't care. I don't want to see them."

"Draco," Mrs. Weasley said gently, reaching out and touching his arm.

Draco glanced at her and turned his head away quickly. He did not want to be mean to the woman, but he did not want to calm down and he did not want to be touched. He just stared fixedly at the black man seated in front of him.

"Kingsley, I'll help him with the arrangements later," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"Thank you, Molly," Kingsley replied. Draco felt a sudden surge of gratitude toward the woman. He didn't want to deal with it later either, but at least she bought him time.

"Can I go now?" Draco said shortly.

The minister was starting to look rather frustrated and put-out. "I just need to give you a copy of your father's will." Kingsley pushed a thick brown business clasp envelope toward Draco. Before it was even halfway toward him, Draco snatched the envelope off of the table and burst out the kitchen door. He marched right over to the broom shed, took out the first broom he touched, Ron's Cleansweep Eleven, and was in the air before Kingsley even got to his feet.

"I'm sorry about that, Minister," Mr. Weasley said holding out his hand.

"Please call me Kingsley, Arthur," he said, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand. "And it is _I_ that is sorry. I didn't mean to come into your home to stir up trouble."

"No. No, we're glad you came. He may be taking it hard, but I think it was better that Draco found out this way. Thank you, Kingsley," Mrs. Weasley said, shaking the Minister's hand.

"Thank you both," he said with a nod. "You have a nice afternoon. I'll see myself out."

The front door opened and Harry, Ron, and Hermione scrambled to attention. "Minister, what's going on? Why did you need to see Draco? Where is he? Is everything alright?" Hermione rattled off quickly, following Kingsley across the yard.

"I think it's probably best that you speak to Draco," he said gravely. "Take care." With a polite nod, Kingsley was gone.

Hermione raced into the house and directly into the kitchen. "Where is he?" Hermione asked quickly. "Please tell me everything's okay."

"He ran out just before the minister left. He looked like he was headed toward the broom shed, so I'd check the orchard," Mrs. Weasley said softly. She looked sad and hurt and it was making Hermione even more frightened.

Hermione ran out the kitchen door and glanced at the broom shed but kept running. She jogged up the hill, her chest aching as she tried to catch her breath, but she kept pushing herself, slowing a little as she ran through the rows of trees until she came to a paddock in the center of the orchard. There she saw him. Draco was high in the air, flipping and turning on his broom. Even from here she could tell by his movements that he was angry. She bit her lip and looked on, afraid to interrupt him. She had learned over the years from Ron and Harry that this was one of the many ways wizards liked to clear their minds when they're upset, so she stood silently watching.

Draco picked up in speed, moving faster and faster around the pitch. It was then that she began to wonder just which broom he was using as the twin's old brooms never moved this quickly. Just as she finished thinking this, Draco tore into a sharp dive pelting toward the ground. Hermione's breath caught as he showed no sign of slowing. Just feet above the ground, he pulled out of the dive, riding quickly just a few feet above the ground, his toes almost skimming the grass. Eventually he began to slow. Taking one hand off of the broom, he walked off of it gracefully, his step never faltering, the broom held in his right hand as he started walking over to Hermione. She was surprised as he had never even shown any sign that he knew she was there. He stopped right in front of her, his face solid and unreadable.

"No one would tell me anything… Draco, what happened?" Hermione asked, her face full of concern.

Draco stared at her, his eyes softening to show the pain he felt deep inside. Without a word, he walked past her and over to a nearby tree. Hermione followed tentatively.

"They're dead. My parents are dead," Draco said flatly with his back still to Hermione.

Hermione's lip began to quiver with the deep sympathy she felt for him. "I'm sorry…" she said softy.

"I'm not," Draco declared venomously. "They had it coming to them."

Hermione felt even more pained at the fierceness of his words. He looked so hurt and angry. "I'm sorry," she said again.

"Stop saying that!" he shouted, rounding on Hermione. "I don't care about them. I couldn't give a damn about them! _This_," said Draco, reaching down and grabbing the packet of papers and thrusting them into Hermione's chest. "is what I'm angry about."

Hermione opened the packet and slid the stack of papers up a few inches to see that it was Lucius Malfoy's will and that Draco was his beneficiary. She looked up at him in confusion.

"I'm his heir. I inherit his whole fucking fortune, his whole fucking life! I don't want it!" Draco snapped loudly. "I don't want to be him!"

Hermione looked at him uncertainly. "Draco… inheriting his money doesn't make you him," she said quietly.

"You didn't even fucking look at it! It's not just money! I get everything! I was perfectly fine with what I had. Fuck, I have over two million bloody galleons in my own vault. I could have done fine with that. I don't want his stuff!" Draco shouted. "Now I own nearly half of wizarding England for Merlin's sake! What the hell am I supposed to do with it?!"

"Draco, it's just money…" Hermione said soothingly.

"You're not fucking listening to me! It's not just money. I now own Brownquist Enterprises! I own over 70 bloody properties. Hell, I own the Holyhead Harpies for Merlin's sake! I don't just inherit money. I inherit all the shit that comes with it. I inherit the power, the influence, I even inherit his fucking blackmailers! I don't fucking want it! I don't want to be him!" Draco screamed with fury.

"Fine. You get everything," Hermione said forcefully. "But that doesn't make you your father. It's not what you _have_ that makes you who you are, it's what you do!" she said fervently. "You don't ever have to be anyone but who you want to be."

"I don't want it…" he said weakly, his lip quivering and eyes filling with tears. "I thought I had finally put him behind me. I don't want anything to have to do with him. He ruined my life."

Hermione reached up and cupped his face with her hand, her thumb lightly brushing over his quivering lips. He turned his head away from her hand, his face screwed up in agony. Hermione bit the inside of her lip, her heart aching with his. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him pulling his head onto the shoulder. At this small gesture, Draco broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into her shoulder, pouring out all of his pain and grief onto the only person in the world he trusted, the only person who ever truly cared for him.

"Oh, Draco," she whispered, pulling him closer and kissing his hair. "I'm so sorry."

Draco's arms tightened around her.

Draco and Hermione spent at least an hour in the orchard before returning to the Burrow. Lunch had already been served but Mrs. Weasley saved a couple plates for the two of them. She also took the opportunity to inform the rest of the family about Draco's parents so that he wouldn't have to. The rest of the day passed rather slowly. Draco sat on the sofa watching the others play chess and exploding snap. After dinner, Mrs. Weasley pulled Draco aside to talk about funeral arrangements. Draco still really didn't want to discuss it so the conversation was rather short. Mrs. Weasley asked if he wanted his parents buried in the same cemetery as his grandparents and Draco agreed. He gave Mrs. Weasley access to one of his many new vaults and she took care of all the arrangements for him. She informed him of the day their burial would be held, but Draco paid no attention. He was able to give her a small 'thank you' but couldn't manage more than that. It had been less than an hour after dinner when Draco excused himself to bed.

Hermione spent the rest of the evening in Ginny's company. Both of them were rather quiet as Hermione was filled with grief for Draco.

It was the middle of the night when Hermione woke on her camp bed in Ginny's room. She had no idea what time it was but knew that she should certainly not be as awake as she was. This was the first night in a month that she had not woken up to nightmares but by thoughts of Draco. She tossed and turned trying to get back to sleep, but she kept looking up at the Holyhead Harpies posters in Ginny's room and her thoughts returned to Draco. She couldn't imagine just how much he must be hurting.

A creak outside the door startled her from her thoughts. She had no idea what time it was, but she knew that it was either much too early or much too late for anyone to be out of bed. Curiously she got up from her bed, grabbed her wand, and walked over to the door.

"Draco?" she whispered.

Draco was halfway down the stairs to the kitchen when Hermione called his name and he whipped around in surprise.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I have some business to take care of. Go back to bed," he whispered back.

Hermione looked behind her and saw Ginny asleep in her bed. Quietly, Hermione slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her and started down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she got closer to him.

"Out. Now go back to bed," he repeated firmly.

"In your pajamas? Draco, what are you doing? You're scaring me," Hermione said, following him downstairs.

"I told you I have business to take care of. Go back to bed," Draco said even more forcefully as he continued through the kitchen.

"I'm not going back to bed. Wherever you're going, I'm coming too," Hermione insisted adamantly.

"No. You can't come," Draco insisted just as firmly. "Go back to bed. I'll be back before breakfast."

Hermione grabbed his arm. "I'm not letting you go until you at least tell me where you're going."

Draco's eyes narrowed and he pinched the cloth around her wrist, removing her hand from his arm. Hermione stared at him with fear. His eyes were so intense, his features so sharp in the pale moonlight that was streaming through the kitchen windows. "I'm going home," he stated.

"What?" Hermione gasped. But before she could move or say anything else, he had disapparated. Hermione's breaths were short and rapid as her heart thundered in her chest. She could hardly think, let alone move. After only a moment of shock Hermione flew up the stairs and burst into Ginny's room.

"Ginny! Ginny, wake up!" Hermione cried, shaking the sleeping girl.

"Huh? Wha-?" Ginny moaned, her eyes squinted as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Draco went to Malfoy Manor. I'm going after him. Wake everyone else!" Hermione ordered.

"What?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes. But when she turned to look at Hermione, she was already gone.

Hermione quaked with fear as she stared up at an enormous Georgian stone mansion that stood behind a tall yew hedge. Lit only by the moonlight, the grounds looked particularly sinister. Slowly she edged forward, moving very quietly up to the decorative wrought iron gate. She peered through the bars looking around a large garden with an elegant fountain and a couple marble statues. Hermione gasped as something moved to her right. She almost cried in relief when she saw that it was only an albino peacock. Turning her attention back to the house, she saw the shadow of a man on the front steps staring up at the front doors. She squinted her eyes to see him better. As the shadow of a nearby tree swayed, she saw the moonlight shine off of his silvery-blond hair and the outline of his pajamas. It was Draco.

Hermione took a good look at the grounds again, gripped her wand and reached for the gate. She let out a scream as her hand felt as though it had been stung by a bee. She glanced up at the house in horror. If anyone was there, they were sure to hear her. It was obvious that Draco did.

"Hermione?!" he yelled across the garden. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded, storming through the lawn toward her. "What do I have to do to make you go back to bed?! I told you not to come!"

Hermione's lip quivered, her eyes glistening with fear as she stared at the house. What was Draco doing yelling like that? He was marching around like he owned the place. _He does own the place, _Hermione reminded herself.

"I was scared for you. I didn't want you to come alone…" she said.

"Damn Gryffindors," Draco muttered under his breath. "I'm fine. I'm not in any danger. So please, go back," he said fiercely.

"No," Hermione said stubbornly.

"Fine," Draco said angrily. He turned away from her and started walking back up to the house.

"Wait! Draco, please!" Hermione cried. She reached for the gate again and screamed, pulling her hand away once more.

"You can't get in that way," Draco said, forcing himself to not look back.

Hermione tried again, another scream escaping her lips.

"Damn it," Draco cursed stopping in his tracks. His nostrils flared with rage. He turned on his heel and stormed back in her direction. "Why do you want to do this to yourself? You shouldn't have come back here. I never wanted you to see this place again! You've been through enough. Why do this to yourself? Go home!"

"I don't have a home!" Hermione cried. "And I'm here because you are. Why are _you_ doing this to yourself?! This place holds as much pain for you as it does for me! I'm not leaving without you!" she persisted. She reached out again, wincing as the gate stung her again.

"You're doing that on purpose," Draco said angrily.

"And I'll keep doing it until you tell me how to get in," Hermione said, squeezing her eyes shut as she was ready to touch it once more. She felt a hand grab onto her wrist and give her arm a small tug. Her eyes flew open to see that her arm was actually through the center of one of the iron rods, a light green glow surrounding her skin where it passed through the magical barrier. "H-how…?"

"It will only accept those that I allow," Draco explained. He gently started pulling her forward and Hermione watched as the green glow climbed up her arm. Slowly she stepped forward, her bare feet passing through the bars as though they weren't even there. "That's how I know that there's no danger. This house is mine now. Its magic answers only to me. No one is here without my permission."

"What… What are we doing here?" Hermione asked as she walked up the front steps with Draco.

"Hermione," Draco said seriously, staring at the front doors. "Please just go back… It hurts like hell for me to be here. I can't imagine what it's doing to you. I'm afraid this is going to make it hurt anew for you."

"I'm fine," Hermione said defiantly, standing up straighter, her chin up in the same proud manner he had seen a few seconds before Bellatrix tortured her for the first time. It was at that very second that the memories and terror flew back to him with full force.

Draco simple nodded and threw open the two large front doors. The house was eerily dark and empty looking. Draco flicked his wand and nearly a hundred candles lit the large vestibule. "Come on," Draco said, walking through the hall, the wooden floorboards cool upon his bare feet. Hermione and Draco both tried not to look as they passed the entrance to the drawing room, but neither of them could resist. Across the room they saw the remains of a charred tapestry over the dark open doorway that led to the cellar swaying in the light drafty breeze from the open front doors. Hermione turned straight ahead and squeezed her eyes shut. She told herself that it was over. That it was just a place and not what she experienced there. But no matter what she told herself, that door and that tapestry caused a burning ache deep inside of her that radiated through her mind and body.

Hermione gasped and jumped back when a hand took hers. Her eyes flew open and she was staring at Draco. She hadn't even realized that she had stopped walking until he touched her. She glanced over again at the eerily waving remains of the tapestry and back at Draco in panic. She knew that it was just a door, but it was the most frightening thing she'd ever seen. It reminded her of when she was small and was convinced that the bogeyman was in her closet. But this door, unlike her closet, had once held true monsters; it was a place where her worst nightmares were real.

"Come on," Draco said again, guiding her forward. He placed his hand gently on her back as he guided her up the stairs to the East Wing of the house.

"Draco… What are we doing here?" Hermione asked again.

"I need to get a few things," Draco said, walking along a long dark hallway, his hand still pressed gently against her back. Draco waved his wand again and several candles in brackets along the walls flickered to life. Hermione still felt extremely frightened, but it wasn't as bad now that she didn't recognize anything.

Draco guided them to the room at the very end of the hall. He took a deep breath and opened the double doors to a large bedroom. As soon as Draco lit the candles, Hermione stepped in apprehensively. It was very obvious even upon first glance that this was Draco's bedroom. It was so spacious and tidy that it felt a little unnatural to Hermione. Bedrooms were not meant to be formal in her opinion. Tidy was one thing, but this room felt so impersonal. The only decoration that looked as though Draco had anything to do with was the single Holyhead Harpies Poster above his desk. There wasn't a single picture in the room. The walls were made of ornate wood panels. The head of a king-sized bed was pressed against the wall, its bedcover decorated with large squares of forest green, black, and varying shades of grey. It was this combination of colors that made the theme for the room, Slytherin inspired, no doubt.

Before Hermione could spend anymore time looking around, Draco walked to the left of the room and threw open the closet door. He scanned it quickly and snatched a large canvas rucksack from the top shelf. He skimmed his fingers through the many robes hanging below the shelf as though considering them. Leaving the robes and heading toward his wardrobe, Draco shot a quick offhanded fire spell into the center of the closet, the robes immediately catching, the entire closet quickly becoming engulfed in flames. Hermione stared at Draco in shock.

At his wardrobe, Draco grabbed a set of pajamas, a couple pair of boxers, pants, shirts, a suit jacket, and a pair shiny black shoes, shoving them each into his rucksack. As soon as he was done here he walked over to his desk, flicking his wand over his shoulder again to set fire to his wardrobe. He dug through the top right drawer of the desk and smiled. Hermione watched him as his lifted a small dormant snitch and look at it warmly. "First snitch I ever caught," explained Draco shoving it in his bag. He grabbed two books from his shelf and closed up his bag. "Alright."

Hermione stared at him uncertainly, glancing anxiously at the fires in the room. He seemed so casual about it. "Draco, are you...?" Hermione couldn't finish her sentence, just pointing to the room as he began to leave it.

Draco smirked and turned back to the room shooting another _'incendio'_ at his bed. "Come on."

Hermione took one last glance at the fire spreading quickly through the room and followed Draco uncertainly down the hall. At each room he passed he threw open the doors and cast a handful of fire spells.

_He's burning it down..._ Hermione realized. She wanted to say something to him but had no idea what to say. She was a little concerned for him except that he looked so calm about it, although that too was a bit unnerving. Draco gently grabbed her hand and walked down the stairs with her.

"Do you want the honor?" Draco asked, stopping outside the drawing room.

Hermione looked nervously at Draco.

"Do it," he said.

Hermione threw her anxiety to the side, embracing Draco's angry destruction. She took a deep breath, seething in anger and pain as she stared at the tattered tapestry and entrance to the cellar chamber. "_Confringo! Confringo! Confringo!_" she shouted, sending three blasting spells at the door and drawing room floor, causing the floor and walls to collapse in. Draco gave her a proud lopsided smile and guided her out of the house.

"HERMIONE! DRACO!" a group of voices chorused as they stepped outside. Hermione had forgotten that she told Ginny to notify the family and they were all there standing just outside the gate. Hermione looked at them, then at the house which had fire blazing in many of the windows. They must be panicked.

"Go to them. Walk through the gate. It won't hurt," instructed Draco.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione worried. "Just come with me, Draco."

"I'll be there in just a second. Go through the barrier," he repeated.

"Draco, you're scaring me. What are you going to do?" Hermione asked again.

"Just finishing up. Please just go. I'll be there as soon as you step through," Draco assured.

Hermione looked extremely concerned but conceded, slowly walking across the garden, glancing over her shoulder at Draco.

"Hermione!" Ron cried as she got close. He reached out and winced as the gate stung him. It was obvious to her that this was a repeated action.

"I'm okay," she said. "I'm sorry I worried you." She took a final look over her shoulder where Draco seemed to be waiting for the exact moment that she stepped through the gate. Slowly she reached out and extended her fingers, pressing them through the solid-looking metal bars. Confident that the barrier would accept her, she walked through and turned around to face Draco.

"What is he doing?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Putting it behind him," Hermione said. Draco stared through the open front doors, raised his wand with purpose, and preformed a complicated series of waving motions, yelling a spell that was drowned out by a roaring noise. Hermione looked on at the large jet of fire that burst from his wand, Draco's wand arm shaking under the force of the spell. The fire lived on for several seconds before it stopped. Draco smirked, the flames from inside the house illuminating the angry yet proud look on his face. Spending no more than two seconds to admire his spell he ran full tilt toward the gate, rushing through it without hesitation.

"What is that?!" Fred demanded, staring at the house that now had flames licking every window and climbing up the great stone walls.

"Fiendfyre," Draco said with a smirk.

"What?!" demanded Mr. Weasley. "That cursed fire targets humans! It can take out half of-"

"It won't get past the hedge," Draco interrupted. "Fiendfyre can destroy just about anything, but can't get past this barrier." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's skeptical looks, Draco felt the need to assure them. "I'm certain. I wouldn't chance it unless I knew."

As Draco spoke he kept his eyes on the house. A large pillar of fire was now circling in the center of the house, rising several feet above the roof.

"Bloody hell..." Fred and George said together, watching serpents and birds of prey made of fire lash out at the roof angrily.

"You can all go back if you want," said Draco. "I'm done now. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"We'll wait with you," said Harry.

Draco glanced over at him. This was the first time Harry had offered to keep him company without meaning to police him. He nodded to him and turned back to the house, or what was left of it. The entire upper story had collapsed, only a few crumbled walls of the bottom floor remained. The pillar of fire remained as tall as the mansion, more ferocious fiery beasts circling in it. The fire finished consuming the house in only a matter of a minute, moving hungrily through the garden, turning the fountain and statues to dust at a single touch. The family began to back away as the fire neared them, but Draco stood firm.

"Draco, are you sure-?"

"I'm sure," Draco interrupted. Draco took two giant steps back and watched as the fire ran along the side of the gate, moving side to side against the hedge. The fire sought out people and it could feel him, but the barrier held strong. Draco took another step back as the heat of the fire was becoming painful. Draco watched with a smug look as the pillar of fire shrunk before his eyes, dying down to the size of a match tip before extinguishing.

Draco looked up at the large mountains of soot and ash that were piled around the yard. Hermione walked up behind Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder. He touched her hand with his own.

"Okay... I'm done. We can go now," Draco said, turning and looking at the family, all of them wearing looks of sadness and concern. No. It was pity. But Draco paid it no mind. He felt free. With a small smile at Hermione he heaved his rucksack onto his shoulder. "Let's go." Not waiting for the family, Draco disapparated.

* * *

**Wow, that was long. But there was alot to put in there.**

**What did you think? I'm trying to really take a look at all the things Draco and Hermione have to face after the war, and the fate of Draco's parents is one thing that I think would affect him alot. **

**What do you think of his reaction? Please review! Your opinions mean alot to me and do influence my future chapters.**


	14. Trusted

Draco opened the front door of the burrow and walked in, wiping his bare feet on the door mat. His toes were chilled by the early morning dew. He didn't pause long as the rest of the group followed him in. With a sigh he swung the rucksack off his back, plopping it onto the sofa in the living room.

"Well, seeing as how it's only 5:30 in the morning, I think everyone should probably be getting back up to bed for a few extra hours of sleep," Mrs. Weasley suggested. But again everyone knew that although Mrs. Weasley's suggestion sounded optional, it was in fact a politely disguised order. Everyone let out a small sigh for none of them felt very much like returning to bed. There were just too many things to think about, too many feelings bouncing around, their adrenaline still pumping from the fear they had felt returning to Malfoy Manor.

"You okay, Draco?" Charlie asked seriously.

Draco looked up, still surprised when he was personally addressed by any one of the Weasleys.

"Um… yeah," Draco said after a moment to think on it. "Yeah. I really am." He was rather surprised that he was indeed feeling better. Of course he was confused, his own emotions all over the place at the moment, but he somehow felt lighter. His mind drifted off again, remembering the tattered tapestry and then the flaming pillar, and finally the great piles of ash. The home he had known his entire life was no more and it seemed quite surreal.

Harry looked at Draco, an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Never before had he tried to put himself in Draco's shoes, but this 'event', for lack of a better word, had forced him to and he felt for him. He knew the look on Draco's face and was very familiar with the kinds of feelings that had to be circling around in him. Draco's fierce anger toward his family reminded himself of the Dursleys, but even though Draco tried to make himself believe that he didn't care that his family was dead, Harry knew that he was in pain from their deaths. No matter how he despised the Dursleys, you can't grow up with someone for several years and not feel pain and guilt at the news of their deaths. Draco was in denial, turning his mourning into anger. He was much more like Harry than Harry wanted to admit.

"Malfoy," Harry said suddenly, causing Draco to startle from his thoughts again. "Grab your broom. It's time for quidditch."

Everyone looked at Harry in stunned silence. Before anyone could speak Harry lifted his wand. "_Accio_ Firebolt." Harry's broom zoomed from Mrs. Weasley's room, down the stairs and into Harry's waiting hand. Everyone looked even more shocked. Harry was disobeying two orders from Mrs. Weasley. Draco smirked and nodded. Mrs. Weasley stood gaping in disbelief as Ron also summoned his broom.

"Teams are uneven, so I'll sit out the first ten minutes," offered Charlie. "We play musical brooms though. Leave the Cleansweep Fives here. I want a real game."

"Oh this'll be fun," smiled Ginny.

"Fine," said Mrs. Weasley giving in as she knew she wouldn't win this time. "But you're all still in your pajamas. Why-?"

"We know," said Fred and George together, walking back out the front door.

"Draco," Hermione called as Draco started toward the door. Draco turned to her and had just enough time to catch the shoes that she tossed to him. "At least don't go barefoot," she smiled.

"You're not coming to watch?" he asked, slightly disappointed.

"Not this time," she answered. "But I'm going to want details so you better win."

"Absolutely," he said, slipping on his shoes and racing after the others.

"Those children," Mrs. Weasley said, shaking her head as she watched the pajama clad group holding an opinionated conversation around the broom shed. "I sometimes wonder if they'll ever grow up."

_I think some of them just did._ Hermione smiled at the thought. What Harry had done for Draco just then, though it seemed small and silly, spoke volumes to Hermione. It was very rare that he would disobey someone he respected as much as Mrs. Weasley unless he felt greatly convicted. Something in Harry changed just now. He saw something in Draco, his long time childhood rival, and was finally able to put the past behind him, not just for Hermione, but because he somehow made a connection of his own.

Mrs. Weasley, deciding that she really didn't want to return to bed either, sat down in a chair in the living room and pulled out her latest knitting project. Uncertain of what to do next, Hermione took Draco's rucksack up to Ron's room. As soon as she placed it on his bed, she looked around again in thought. There really wasn't much to do. She wondered why she had declined watching the quidditch game, but she already knew the answer to that. She was still shaken up. And though flying helped the others cope with their thoughts and emotions, that was not the way she worked.

Hermione slowly went down to Ginny's room and grabbed some clothes, deciding on a shower. But the shower didn't help like she hoped either. Still feeling flustered, Hermione walked back down to the living room. Without thinking, she automatically moved toward the bookshelves. Her eyes roved over the books without thought, her mind taking in the titles without actually concentrating on them, but a spark was lit when she came across a worn version of Tales of Beedle the Bard. With a small smile, she took the book off the shelf and took it over to the sofa.

She opened the book to Babbity-Rabbity and her Cackling Stump. She remembered when Ron spoke so casually of the story and she and Harry began laughing. Then she and Harry began listing muggle fairytales and Ron laughed even harder. 'Cinderella --' 'What's that, an illness?' And then telling the tale of Hansel and Gretel to Draco. She was sure he would laugh as hard as Ron, but he didn't. He was actually rather insightful, dissecting it and the characters for what they really were. She wanted to tell him the story to see him laugh, and she did get a few chuckles out of him, but he was fascinated even more. And she realized then that she liked that reaction much more. She couldn't wait to buy Tales from the Brothers Grimm for him. She would love to read it with him.

This thought, of course, brought her back to her thoughts on Draco, remembering the great time they were having in Diagon Alley before Seamus and Dean showed up. Then the horrible news that the afternoon brought… But this morning, now was the time to consider what feelings this morning had brought.

She had been terribly afraid when she followed Draco to the mansion. It brought back so many terrible memories, making them almost tangible. But now that she was no longer there, it hardly felt frightening at all. The thing that was truly frightening her was Draco. She had been able to read him so very well before yesterday afternoon, but when she found him in the orchard he seemed different. She could see his pain and that he was trying to force it to become anger, but there was so much else that he had bottled up that she just couldn't understand. His fear, his greatest fear was becoming like his father. No better fear could he have. That fear would only help him, help him strive for something better.

His actions seemed so extreme though. She knew that he wanted to put his past behind him, but the way he was going about it was a little unsettling. But Hermione thought back to the look on his face. So many things she had seen in him. His fear, his uncertainty, his feelings of inferiority, but they had vanished with the first fire spell he cast. As she walked back out of the house, Draco setting fires as he went, his feelings were completely different. He looked bold and empowered. Looking up at the house from behind the gates, Draco looked free, maybe not at peace yet, but he was free. It was as if his fear and insecurities were destroyed in the place of their birth, reduced to ashes along with the other reminders of his past life. His pain and memories were with him, but he was shouldering them now with fierce determination and strength of spirit. His actions may have been rash but Hermione decided that it was for the best. It was Draco's first big step toward healing.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking up from her knitting.

"Yeah, of course," Hermione said, looking up with a funny smile.

"Are you sure? You've been on that same page for about fifteen minutes and I daresay that Babbity-Rabbity is hardly a difficult read," Mrs. Weasley said, giving Hermione a disbelieving look. Hermione blushed furiously, not knowing just what to say to that. "You don't have to talk about it. But I really want you to know that if there's ever anything you want to talk about, I'm always here and I'm not one to judge."

Hermione gave Mrs. Weasley a warm smile. She was so very touched by this. She missed her own mother terribly and though Mrs. Weasley could never replace her own mother, it was nice to have a motherly figure around. She had come to know the woman so well over the years that she was what Hermione considered her second mother.

"Thank you Mrs…. Molly. That really means a lot. I'm doing okay, really. There's just so much to think about," Hermione replied.

"Now that I can agree with," Mrs. Weasley said. "Oh my, look at the time! It's already after eight o'clock. "I better get breakfast started."

"Can I help?" Hermione asked, closing her book and standing up.

Mrs. Weasley stopped halfway to the kitchen and turned back to Hermione. "Oh, that's okay dear. I have it just fine."

"You always do, but if you don't mind, I really would like to help," Hermione requested. "I rather miss cooking."

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"D-do you think you could teach me a few spells that you use in the kitchen? I've never cooked with magic yet," Hermione continued as she followed Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen.

"It would be my pleasure," Mrs. Weasley beamed. "I always wished I had a daughter to pass such things onto."

Hermione looked at her quizzically.

"Oh, Ginny takes after her brothers more than me," Mrs. Weasley said, noticing Hermione's confusion. "She'd much rather be just about anywhere but the kitchen unless the food is already on the table."

Hermione chuckled. "I guess I could see that. She seems to do okay when she does help out though," Hermione offered. She felt wrong if she didn't defend her friend.

"Oh, she does well enough. Just grudgingly is all. Perhaps she'll enjoy it more when she's allowed to use her wand," Mrs. Weasley said hopefully.

About forty-five minutes later, just as Hermione was placing the last platter on the table, the pajama clad quidditch players walked in through the kitchen door, almost as though they sensed breakfast was ready.

"No better way to start the day than to see Malfoy Manor burnt to the ground, an amazing game of quidditch, and an awaiting breakfast," said George with a big smile.

"'Ear,'ear!" Fred agreed, tugging on George's only ear. George elbowed his twin in the ribs and sat down at his usual seat at the table.

"So who won this time?" Hermione asked, but before anyone could answer, her heart sunk. "Where's Draco?"

"He left about twenty minutes ago. He said he'd be the first one in the shower," said Charlie.

Hermione and Mrs. Weasley exchanged looks. "We didn't see or hear him come in," said Mrs. Weasley as Hermione was having difficulty breathing, let alone speaking. Everyone at the table exchanged slightly worried looks and Hermione raced up the stairs. At the third floor she saw that the bathroom mirror was steamed up. Perhaps he really had come in for a shower. She continued up the stairs quickly, stopping, out of breath on the fifth floor landing she pounded on Ron's door.

"Yes?" answered Draco. "Come in."

Hermione threw the door open.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"You didn't come in with the group," she explained quickly. "They said you were going to take a shower, but we didn't see you come in. I was afraid… What are you doing?"

Draco had one foot on his cot and was lacing up one of his shiny patent leather shoes. He was wearing black dress pants, a dark grey turtleneck and black suit coat, his silver-blond hair slicked back rather than the way it was usually parted and falling into his eyes.

"Getting dressed," Draco said with smirk.

Hermione usually found his sarcastic and smart-aleck comments both cute and amusing, but she wasn't smiling this time. "You know what I mean," she said. "Why are you dressed like that? Where are you going?"

"I have some business to take care of today," Draco said simply, lacing up his other shoe.

"What kind of business? Where are you going?" Hermione asked again.

"Personal business. Gringotts, among other places," he said offhandedly.

Hermione looked at him with concern, feeling slightly hurt but even more frustrated. Draco hadn't kept any secrets from her until now and it was making her feel very uncomfortable.

"I want to come," Hermione insisted.

"Not this time," said Draco, standing up and looking at her properly. "This is something I have to take care of on my own."

"Then at least tell me what you're doing!" Hermione persisted.

"I told you, I just have some business to take care of," Draco repeated.

"That's what you said this morning," Hermione said angrily. "Then you went and committed arson!"

"It wasn't arson as it was my own house," Draco chuckled. "But honestly, this is just actual business. Très ennuyeux."

"But you shouldn't be going out on your own. You saw what happened yesterday, just imagine if-"

"I'll be fine. I promise," Draco said, stowing his wand in the pocket of his suit coat. "I'll see you this evening."

"This _evening?!_" Hermione said, even more panicked then before.

Draco placed his hands on Hermione's arms and looked her in the eye. Hermione felt extremely uncomfortable. This man was not the man she saw yesterday. She knew that he had become bold and confident, but she barely recognized him. He looked so cool yet determined. "Stop worrying," he said with a small lopsided smile. He looked at her in a patronizing manner, like he thought her worry was needless yet adorable. "I promise I'll be fine and I'll be back no later than five o'clock."

"Five o'clock?! It's only now nine o'clock! What kind of 'business' could possibly take you eight hours?!" Hermione demanded.

"Hermione, I understand that it's hard for you to trust me, but I'm asking you to please try," Draco said seriously. "I'll be back by five."

"It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I don't trust the world anymore. I get worried for you," Hermione persisted.

"Please don't. I promise you I'll be fine and I'll be back by-"

"Four," Hermione interrupted.

Draco lifted an eyebrow. "Four? What's at four?"

"Nothing. I'm just trying to make you come back sooner," Hermione admitted shamelessly. She wanted to trust him, but she was still so worried. The truth was that although she trusted him, she wasn't entirely sure she trusted his judgment at the current time. He just seemed so rash.

His smirk looked even more condescending. How was it that he could make her feel so loved and secure, yet make her feel so worried and self-conscious at the same time? "Four then," he agreed. "Now please don't worry." He brushed his thumb across her cheek and kissed her forehead. He gave her one last nod before he disapparated. Hermione cursed herself the moment he left. He felt both incredibly stable and unstable at the same time and he just went out on his own into a world where everyone hates him. How could she just let him go?

Hermione stood staring at the place that Draco had just been, too overwhelmed to think properly. It just felt so surreal. Draco looked and acted so different. She knew it was him, _her_ Draco, but he was just so…so… driven. But it wasn't that he was so driven that scared her so much as that paired with his sudden unpredictability. But she trusted him none the less. He promised.

Hermione slowly turned from the room and walked back downstairs to the kitchen where everyone was waiting around the table.

"So is he up there?" Harry asked.

"He was," Hermione said, her voice rather distant.

"Was?" Ginny asked with concern.

"He just left," Hermione said, looking down at her fingers.

"Where?" asked Ron, getting to his feet.

"I don't know…" Hermione said looking up at the group. "He just said he had business to take care of."

"What kind of business?" Harry asked with concern.

"I don't know," Hermione repeated, biting her lip.

"Hermione, what did he tell you exactly?" Charlie said, he with the rest of the table becoming more and more nervous.

"When I went upstairs he was dressed in a suit coat and dress shoes, his hair slicked smartly. I asked where he was going and he said he had business to take care of. I asked again and he said Gringotts, among other places," Hermione replied quietly.

"Among other places?" Ron asked heatedly. "He wouldn't tell you where?"

"No," Hermione said simply.

"The little prat," Ron growled.

"He knows better than to just go out like that," said Charlie. "Didn't he learn that yesterday?"

"Did he say when he'd be back?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"By four o'clock."

"Four o'clock?!" cried Ron. "Does he actually think he's going to live that long?"

"Shut up, Ron. Let's go find him," said Harry, getting to his feet.

"No," said Hermione, stunning the group. "He said he'd be okay… He promised."

"What?" asked Ginny.

"He promised he'd be okay. 'Just business,' he said. 'Très ennuyeux' – 'Very boring'"

"I'm going to Gringotts," insisted Charlie.

"He won't be there yet," said Hermione. "He has an appointment there at eleven. I was there with him yesterday when he made the appointment. He says it's just business, he promised he'd be okay, and he's going to be back by four… I trust him."

"Hermione, are you sure-?" Ron started.

"I know he wouldn't do anything wrong, if that's what you're thinking, Ron," Hermione interrupted.

"I wasn't actually," Ron said a little insulted. "I was going to ask if you were sure you don't want us to look for him."

"He's a smart person. He knows how the world sees him and the potential dangers out there. He promised me that he'd be alright which tells me that he's thought it all through. He wouldn't promise unless he could keep it. I trust him," Hermione proclaimed to herself as much as the family. "He'll be okay."

"Okay," said Harry.

Hermione nodded and took a seat at the table next to Ginny.

* * *

**Not extremely eventful, but I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Please review! Please?**


	15. Published

Hermione sat at a chair at the end of the kitchen table staring at the front door of the Burrow, her body rigid and still, her face solid and unchanging. She glanced at the clock again. 4:34. Only one minute since the last time she looked. She stared at the door again. Her nerves were shot. Draco said he'd be back by four. She glanced at the kitchen door and back at the front door. Any minute. Any minute he would walk through the door.

A faint popping sound came from outside and Hermione's body stiffened further as she stared at the front door, hope rising inside her, begging for it to be him. The handle of the front door turned and Hermione moved toward the edge of the chair. Draco walked in, a large pile of robes over his left arm and four large shopping bags in his right. Hermione leapt from her seat and threw her arms around his neck. Draco jumped in surprise, dropping the bags on the floor. Feeling stunned, it took him a moment to regain himself and wrap an arm around the girl that clung so hard to him.

"Hermione? Is everything alright?" Draco asked nervously. Her only reply was the shaking sobs and hot tears against the nape of his neck. "Hermione, what happened?" he asked anxiously. "Hermione answer me. Is everything okay?" Draco gently pushed her away from him to look at her. She closed her eyes, she face screwed up as she tried to stop crying. She pressed her sleeve against her runny nose, trying to pull herself together. "Hermione?"

"Hermione, dear," Mrs. Weasley said gently. "Would you mind coming to help me with dinner?"

Hermione drew in a long shaky breath and walked into the kitchen, leaving Draco standing worried and confused at the door. Before he could say or do anything else, a hand grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt and yanked him into the living room.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Ginny demanded.

Draco looked at her slightly peeved. "I had business to attend to," he replied. "What's wrong with-?"

"What _kind_ of business?" Ginny demanded.

"Personal," Draco said forcefully, now fully irritated. "And you know I really don't care for you tone."

"I don't care what you think of my tone. And you know, now is really not the time to be keeping secrets, Draco," Ginny snipped.

"Yeah, well it's _never_ polite to pry into someone's private business," Draco sneered. He had really begun to like this feisty assertive little red-head, but now he wasn't sure he really cared for her now that he was receiving the full heat of her aggressiveness.

"I don't care what you think of my manners. I want to know where you've been all day!" Ginny insisted.

"You know, I really don't think it concerns you," said Draco.

"Oh, if it involves Hermione then it concerns me," Ginny declared.

"This had nothing to do with Hermione," Draco stated heatedly.

"Maybe not directly, but she's been sitting in that chair that last few _hours_ waiting for you, worried out of her mind! You told her you'd be back by four. Where were you?" Ginny ordered.

"Look, it took me a bit longer than I thought it would," Draco said defensively. "But I told Hermione I would be fine. I told her I'd be back."

"Yeah, and she trusted you," snapped Ginny.

"And why wouldn't she?" Draco asked, challenging her insult his honor. "Why _shouldn't_ she?"

"She was worried for your safety from the moment you left. To take her mind off of it, I went shopping with her. But we got back at one o'clock to find out that Charlie had gone to Gringotts to make sure you arrived alright. Your appointment there was at eleven. Charlie got there at ten and waited until twelve and you _never showed up_. She's been sitting there since, scared to death that something terrible happened to you. So I want to know where the hell it was you were at today and why you told her you were going to Gringotts when-"

"Enough!" Draco shouted. "Hermione _was_ right to trust me. And the only reason she got so worried was because Charlie obviously didn't. I _was_ at Gringotts. I was there almost all day. I arrived just after I left here. I waited for their doors to open and I was there for hours and hours, taking care of private matters concerning the death of my parents and my inheritance! I did have other things to take care of but, again, that's private. The reason I was late was because Madam Malkin was just finishing up on one of Hermione's new robes and I decided it would be better to wait than have to come back!" Draco ranted angrily. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'm going to go speak to Hermione. She might appreciate it if you could take her robes up to her room," Draco snapped, taking the top three robes off of the stack draped over his arm and holding them out for Ginny.

For one of the first times in her life, Ginny was speechless and looked terribly embarrassed. She took the robes from him and her head drooped. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have jumped on you like that."

"No," Draco agreed. "You shouldn't have. I'm not hiding things. There's just some things, especially when it comes to personal business matters, that I really like to keep private."

Ginny nodded. "I really am sorry."

"Me too. I really didn't mean to upset people," Draco said calmly. "Now I'm going to go explain this to Hermione."

Draco walked slowly into the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley stood over the stove and Hermione was cutting vegetables over the counter.

"Mrs. Weasley," Draco said tentatively. "Do you mind if I borrow Hermione for a minute?"

Mrs. Weasley looked at him sternly and looked over at Hermione in question.

"Yeah," said Hermione, setting down her knife and wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. She slowly walked over to Draco and he walked up the stairs, stopping at Ginny's room. Ginny looked at him and Hermione guiltily, setting Hermione's robes on her bed before silently excusing herself. Hermione closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Draco said quickly. "I really didn't mean to worry you. I didn't realize how concerned you'd be."

"Where were you?" Hermione asked. It would sound more like a demand if she wasn't still so shaken up.

"I know what Charlie told you and I understand how that would worry you even more, but I _was_ at Gringotts. I went there as soon as I left and I was there nearly all day," Draco said, begging her to believe him.

"Really?" Hermione asked. It wasn't really that she didn't believe him, but somehow she just needed to hear it again.

"Yes," Draco said earnestly.

"You have no idea how worried I was. And then when Charlie said that he didn't see you when he waited so long... And then you were late. I couldn't stop imagining you in a cell in Azkaban or worse! I'm scared for you," Hermione said seriously.

"You need to trust me, Hermione. I told you I'd be safe. I promised," Draco replied just as serious.

"I know. I just didn't know where you were or what you were doing," she defended.

"I told you where I was going and what I was doing. I went to Gringotts for business. I was poring over ledgers, paperwork, and letters all day. And the only reason I was late was because I was waiting for Madam Malkin to finish up your last robe," Draco said, gesturing to the robes on the bed. "I thought you might like to wear your own clothes to the Grand Re-Opening of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Draco. It's really not that I didn't trust you. It's that I don't trust anyone else. You've been attacked both times you went out in public. I was just afraid of you going out on your own."

Draco wrapped her in a tight hug. "I know. And I'll try to do better to quell your fears next time."

Hermione nodded against him. "I just love you and don't want anything to happen to you."

"I love you too," he replied. She looked up into his eyes. It was the second time he said it and it meant just as much as the first. Before they could be interrupted again, Hermione planted her lips firmly on his.

Hermione pulled away and looked down sheepishly. Draco felt a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth. That was certainly not a reaction that he had expected after how upset she seemed with him.

"Um, so I bought you something today," Hermione said, trying to brush off her embarrassment for reacting so spontaneously.

"What?" Draco asked, surprised both by her sudden speech and the idea that she bought something for him.

"I went out shopping in muggle London with Ginny," she said. "We didn't get much because I'm still looking forward to going with you. But I did pick you up some things."

Draco didn't know what to say. He was really touched that she thought of him, but he couldn't stop thinking of how little money there was in her vault. Hermione walked over to Ginny's chest of drawers where Ginny had cleared out a drawer just for her and she pulled out a stack of clothes.

"I hope you like them," Hermione said handing the stack to Draco. Draco looked down on a pair of charcoal grey canvas shoes, shoes unlike any he had ever seen before. "They're called Converse Chuck Taylor lo-tops. They're classic," she said.

Draco gave them a lopsided smile and set the stack on top of Hermione's cot, lifting up the pair of dark blue jeans. "Nice. Classic muggle-wear, huh?" He laid the pants down and held a very thin, tight-knit cotton sweater with a zipper at the collar that stopped halfway down with a pattern of thick forest green and grey heather stripes.

"I hope you like them. If you don't that's okay, just say so. If you don't like them or they don't fit, we can just take them back. But I do think I got about the right size," Hermione said, looking from the sweater to Draco's chest, then to his face to see his reaction.

"They're great," said Draco with a smile.

"Really?" Hermione asked nervously. "Be honest."

"Really," Draco said. "My first set of muggle clothes."

"I really hope I didn't step too far away from your comfort zone. I tried to stick with simple patterns and dark colors..."

"They're fantastic," Draco assured. "Thank you. I can wear them tomorrow to the re-opening of the joke shop."

"Well... I really should be getting back downstairs to help Molly," Hermione said. "Dinner should be ready soon." Hermione left the room and Draco looked down at the clothes on the bed. They really did look nice and seemed to fit his style, but he still felt really bad about her spending money on him. She had to have spent a considerable sum of her money on him and it made him feel terrible.

Draco peeked his head out of the door to make sure no one was looking and walked over to Hermione's drawer. It felt wrong doing it, but he opened her money bag and dropped in ten galleons. He was certain the things she bought him must have cost at least triple that, but he couldn't put anymore in without her getting suspicious. He'd put more in tomorrow. Silently he closed the drawer and went to get his shopping bags to take up to Ron's room.

* * *

Draco woke the next morning with the sun streaming through the window into his eyes. It felt deliciously warm on his skin and he took a deep breath. Just as soon as he did, he shot up in bed. If the sun was that high then he must have slept in. Draco looked around and saw that neither Ron nor Harry were in bed. He looked at the clock that read 9:02. His eyes popped. Even more surprising than the time was that he didn't wake up with nightmares or even when Harry and Ron had somehow managed to get around his cot. He couldn't remember the last time he slept so well, but of all days to sleep in, this was the one he wanted to the least. Today was Tuesday, possibly his last day of freedom for the next several years. He wanted to waste none of it. He quickly scrambled out of bed and pulled out the muggle clothes that Hermione had bought him. He was extremely impressed at how well they fit. He looked in Ron's mirror and smiled. He hardly recognized the boy staring back at him.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," his reflection said, nodding in approval. "It was about time you changed style. But you might want to fix up your hair a bit."

Draco nodded to his reflection and just ran his fingers through his messy blond hair a few times.

"Better," his reflection said.

"Thanks," said Draco, lifting his eyebrow. "You too." Both he and his reflection chuckled at his joke and Draco headed downstairs, a big smile on his face. There was a nervous feeling in his gut that kept reminding him that these could be his last hours of freedom, but the better half of him told him to enjoy the day. He was determined that it would be a good one. "Good morning," he greeted as he reached the bottom of the stairs. But he stopped suddenly.

The entire family was gathered behind Hermione's chair at the table, all looking up at him with their lips parted in surprise, their eyes on him like he was the strangest thing they'd ever seen.

"What?" Draco asked, glancing down at his clothes.

"You, mate," said George. "Seems you were right, you didn't need Hermione for your image."

"Yeah, you made front page on your own," said Fred.

Draco looked confused then saw that they weren't gathered around Hermione, but the Daily Prophet in Hermione's hands. Draco's stomach felt his stomach perform a flop like the final twitch of a dying fish. He had a terrible feeling about what that paper might say.

Draco walked over to them, almost forgetting to breathe, and held out a shaking hand. Hermione handed the folded paper to him and he opened it quickly. Right there on the front page was a large picture of him standing behind his father, looking around nervously. He took a deep breath and started reading the article.

**Draco Malfoy: Bad Apple or Above the Barrel?**

Draco Malfoy, age 17, famed son of Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, is the latest talk among the wizard community. The announcement of his parents' deaths in yesterday's paper brought even more attention to the young man. Many have speculated over the years about just who this boy would turn out to be but people are now wondering all the more as Draco Malfoy inherits his father's fortune, power, and influence. The 17-year-old, as of two days ago, has become arguably the richest man in England, his full fortune unknown but estimated to be in the billions. Along with his father's gold, young Mr. Malfoy has also inherited Brownquist Enterprises, the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team and Harpy Stadium, as well as seventy-four properties, most of which house wizard families around the country. We have watched this boy grow up in much the same way as his father, so has he followed in his father's footsteps or started along his own path?

We had received information from the ministry with yesterday's list of Death Eaters that Draco Malfoy was not to be mentioned and we now know why. Young Mr. Malfoy stands accused of being a Death Eater himself, making him the youngest of You-Know-Who's followers. As of yet they are just accusations but he is rumored to have led the Death Eaters into Hogwarts last Spring on the night of Albus Dumbledore's death as well as imprisoning the famed Hermione Granger for a period of three weeks. But oddly enough, it would seem to make more sense if these rumors turned out to be false as Draco Malfoy is being treated quite differently than the rest of the accused supporters. Until Friday, no one had seen or heard from Draco Malfoy since his headmaster's death.

He was seen by many, starting quite an uproar, at the funeral of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. At first sight of him, one of the guests assumed he was there to attack his long-time rival, Harry Potter. This anonymous guest immediately took action, with the support of a few other startled guests, sending a barrage of spells in Mr. Malfoy's direction. It was lucky for him though that he had the support and protection of none other than his rival, Harry Potter.

"Of course I was surprised to see Malfoy there," says Angelina Johnson, age 20. "But he didn't bother anyone. He didn't even have a wand. He was backing away defensively when he was attacked. Mrs. Tonks informed me that Draco was invited because he is her nephew and he came to pay his respects. I've always been suspicious of him, but if Harry and the Weasleys say he's alright then I won't argue it."

Where did he go after that? No one seems to know for certain, but he is said to be under the protection of the Order of the Phoenix until the date of his trial which takes place tomorrow.

Mr. Malfoy was also seen Sunday in Diagon Alley, accompanied by Hermione Granger, the very girl he is accused of imprisoning. On this occasion also, the young man suffered an unprovoked attack, this time by two classmates from his same year. Many witnesses concur that Draco Malfoy was simply conversing with Miss Granger when the two boys attacked him. It the scuffle, Miss Granger received an unintended stunning spell from her fellow Gryffindor. It was Fred and George Weasley that came to the rescue, showing Malfoy into their empty joke shop. The discussion held between them led many to believe that Miss Granger is seeing Malfoy on a romantic level. If this is true, then what of the rumor of her imprisonment? Does Miss Granger possibly suffer from Stockholm Syndrome? But if this is the case, what of the protection of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix?

It seems that the more we discover the more questions we have. Yesterday evening our offices were bombarded with new information regarding the young aristocrat. If people thought it would take time to see how the young man settles into his wealth, they will be as stunned as us here at the Daily Prophet. It seems that Young Draco has wasted no time in establishing and proclaiming his goals to the world. Many would think that becoming the owner of a large company would be intimidating for a 17-year-old, but he not only stepped in to speculate, but exercise his authority and express his priorities in the companies improvement, increasing the funds allotted to potion development teams and raising non-management employees salaries by 3%.

Also dealing with business, of the seventy-four properties Draco Malfoy inherited, seventy-one of them are being used by wizard families, each owing the new owner thousands of galleons for these homes. But in our investigation, these families admitted that they now fully own the properties themselves. How is this so? Each family received an owl yesterday evening stating that Mr. Draco Malfoy would rather not "deal with the hassle and responsibility involved" with owning these properties, releasing the families from their mortgage contracts and waiving their debts, transferring the titles to the families without further obligation.

If this move seems charitable, it is nothing to his charitable donations to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Yesterday morning St. Mungo's received an anonymous donation of One Million Galleons from none other than Draco Malfoy. And in addition, he also insists upon paying the hospital bills of all of those that had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. It seems that the 17-year-old boy holds these heroes in high esteem as he has also wished to reward them with gifts from his quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies, offering each person who fought in the battle and each healer that traveled to Hogwarts to see to the injured, a poster signed by the entire team and a ticket to one of their games.

So does this boy resemble his father, or does he stand apart? Raised in a barrel of rotten apples, has he spoiled with them or has he risen above them? Is Draco Malfoy truly an astute and compassionate leader or just a scared little boy that is trying to buy his way out of Azkaban? Perhaps tomorrow's trial will be able to shine more light on the motives behind young Malfoy's surprising relationships and business dealings.

"Fuck!" Draco cursed, punching a hole in the kitchen wall. Without a word, Charlie quickly repaired it. "Damn it!" He crumpled up the paper and threw it angrily into the glowing fireplace. "I can't fucking believe this!"

"Draco…?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"What part of '_anonymous_ donation' don't they understand?! And the letter to each one of those families expressed my great desire to keep the property transaction private!" Draco fumed, pacing back and forth in front of the fire, his face contorted in fury.

"S-so it's all true then…" Ron said incredulously.

With great rage coursing through him, a deep sneer on his face, Draco simply nodded in response.

"The Harpies tickets too?" George asked hopefully.

"And the autographs?" Fred added.

"Yes," Draco said bitterly. "But I didn't want anyone to know until they arrived by owl. The lot of you get seasons' tickets. Kind of a personal thank you. So thanks," Draco said in a voice as far from gracious as it could be. "Please excuse me," he muttered, walking out the front door, just able to restrain himself from slamming it.

"Draco?" Hermione asked, sliding out the front door and closing it quietly behind her.

"What?" he snapped.

"What you did is absolutely amazing," she said, walking up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why are you upset by it?"

"I don't regret what I did. I regret it managing to make the paper. I don't want publicity! Normally I'd take it with a grain of salt, but this is the worst possible timing," he seethed. Hermione looked at him uncertainly and he continued. "C'mon. You're supposed to be the one representing me at the trial. How do you think the Wizengamot are going to respond to this? You read it: 'Is this just a scared little boy trying to buy his way out of Azkaban?'"

"A jury is not allowed to be influenced by outside opinions and evidence," Hermione stated.

"Maybe where you come from, but the Wizengamot are not known for being open-minded. That statement is going to be burned into all their minds tomorrow when I walk through that door. I'm as good as gone," Draco growled miserably. "And it's my own fault. I could have waited, but I was afraid that I might go to Azkaban, so I wanted to make sure it was taken care of first. Now…"

"Draco, I think you are completely overreacting. You haven't done anything wrong. I don't know if any of us could possibly be more impressed with you right now. Those things you did… You're absolutely brilliant, so compassionate and generous. You're nothing like your father. I know that's what you set out to prove and I hope that you have proved it to yourself now. You are the most amazing man I've ever met," Hermione beamed, reaching up to place a hand on his cheek. "I'm telling you, what you did was a good thing."

Draco let out a large sigh. "I sure hope so."

"Enough on that. Forget about the trial for now. We've got a busy day. Fred and George just left for the shop," Hermione said. "And I see your new clothes fit alright. Do you like them?"

"They're great," Draco replied forcing a tiny smile. He had completely forgotten that he was wearing them. "What do you think though? Do they look alright?"

"They look great," she said with a big smile of her own. "You look _really_ good. But then, I've always thought you looked handsome."

"Always?" Draco asked skeptically.

"Yes," Hermione said, surprised by his disbelief. "You don't have to like a person to think they're good-looking. I've thought you were handsome since the first time I saw you."

Draco smirked at her.

"But you don't have to look so smug about it," she said, playfully shoving his shoulder.

"I see you found your new robe," he said.

Hermione looked down at the powder blue robe that she wore over a pair of dark jeans and a royal blue v-neck shirt. "Yeah," she said. "Thank you."

"It looks really good on you," he said, twirling his finger in one of her wild curls. Hermione blushed furiously.

"Um… We're leaving now," said Ron, his head peeking out of the front door.

"Okay, we'll be right behind you," Hermione said. "You'll probably want some breakfast first though," she said thoughtfully to Draco.

"I'll grab a piece of toast," said Draco. "Let's get going."

Hermione and Draco apparated outside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes ten minutes later, a half-eaten piece of toast with jam in Draco's hand.

"Wow, it's incredible what they've done with the place since Sunday," Draco said, looking at the brilliantly painted store. There was a large excited crowd waiting outside of it. Hermione and Draco made their way through the mass of people to where the rest of the Weasleys and Harry stood.

"Think they'll give me a discount this time?" Ron asked.

"Doubtful," said Ginny.

"Maybe I should tell them how brilliant I think there stuff is. Fred gave Hermione something for free when she said it," Ron mused.

"That's because it's a compliment coming from a brilliant witch like Hermione," said Harry. "They expect someone like you to be impressed with everything."

"Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?" Ron said grumpily.

"Um, nothing. I mean, just not like Hermione," said Harry, trying not to laugh.

"Right there, that's him." Draco heard a couple of young Hogwarts students muttering close to him. He saw the boy point in his direction and several people around him looked straight at Draco.

"Oh, wow, you're right," another responded.

"Do you think we should leave?" one of the girls asked.

"No," said another. "It's like the paper says. Look, he's with Potter and that Granger girl."

"So you don't think he's a death eater then?" the girl asked again.

"If he is, he's not going to do anything here. All of the Weasleys are in the Order of the Phoenix. They'd take him down in a second."

"That'd actually be really cool to see," another boy said excitedly.

"Is it true that the Order of the Phoenix is allowed to use unforgivable curses on death eaters?" one of them asked.

"No. And it won't come to that," Draco said, turning around to look at the eleven and twelve year old brats. They all looked at him in shock and horror. Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. Hermione linked her arm with his and she turned around to see what he was looking at.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"These kids here want to know if you and the Weasleys can use unforgivable curses on me," Draco said with a chuckle.

"What?" Hermione said incredulously, looking at the terrified kids.

"Yeah, they're hoping for a show so long as I don't curse them," he said so that the kids could see him clearly roll his eyes.

Most of them looked frightened to even breathe wrong, let alone move, but there was one brave one in the group. "So are you a death eater?" the boy asked.

Draco was stunned that the boy was so frank. He really wasn't certain how to answer that. "Why, you really are looking for a show?" he asked evasively.

"I'm not scared of you," the boy said with a cocky grin.

"Felix shut up!" the girl said.

"Well, Felix," said Draco. "If you're not afraid of me, then I'm probably not a death eater, am I?"

Hermione smiled at his response. She was actually rather worried about him answering one way or the other, both having the ability to create problems later. Draco smiled back at Hermione and turned to look back at the store front.

"That's what I thought," said Felix to his friends. "Slytherins are nothing but cowards. He'd never admit it."

"Ah," Draco said to Hermione, not bothering to whisper. "Sounds like the arrogant little beast is from your house."

"He mouths off just like another lion I know," Hermione chuckled, looking over toward Harry.

Draco chuckled to himself. _Yeah, but Harry had the fame to pull it off. I bet this smart-ass gets twice as many detentions._

A loud horn sounded at the front of the store as Fred and George stepped out of the door, standing at the top of the stoop so that everyone could see them clearly, though they were rather hard to miss with their flaming hair and vibrant magenta work robes.

"Attention Boys and Girls!" Fred greeted. "And all you parents who have their money…"

"We'd love to thank all of you for coming today as we are so very pleased to re-open our doors," George continued.

"The world is in desperate need of a good laugh right now and we hope to be the ones to provide it," said Fred, positively beaming. "And so in honor of this occasion, we've decided-"

"To double our prices!" George interrupted.

Fred elbowed a chuckling George in the ribs. "No we haven't. We've decided to donate 10% of today's sales to Hogwarts to help replace some of the supplies irreparably damaged during the battle."

The crowd clapped in its approval.

"So without further ado," said George. "We are proud to declare Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes…"

"Re-opened!" the twin chorused together, throwing open the shop doors. Hermione took Draco by the hand and led him into the packed store, leaving Felix and his nosy friends behind.

* * *

**Kind of an odd chapter. I really liked writing the article even though it proved that I would make a terrible journalist. LoL I apologize for the strange flow. I had a really difficult time transitioning from high tempers to calm. But that's what you get when I write a chapter a day. :P Not much time to find inspiration when I want to change something.**

**I hope you liked it though. Please let me know what you think. What do you think of Draco's clandestine business deals? Do you think he's overreacting about the publicity? The very last day before his trial. :( Please please give me your opinions. I love to know what you think of events and character reactions. Your opinions do influence my writing. ^^**

**So Please Review! **


	16. Accepted

Hermione and Draco walked in through the front door of the Burrow and Draco immediately dropped a handful of bags he was carrying.

"'Bout time you two got back," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Wow, you two look spent," Harry said.

"I never knew how exhausting shopping could be," said Draco.

"Well I could have told you that," said Harry. "Never go muggle clothes shopping with a girl."

"Hey," said Hermione indignantly. "I'll have you know I'm a rather fast shopper. It was Draco that spent the most time trying on clothes."

"Gee, thanks," Draco muttered in embarrassment. Hermione blushed. She hadn't meant to embarrass him. He had tried on a lot of clothes though. And even though he tried on a lot that he liked, he only purchased one set. She hadn't said anything about it, but she had a terrible feeling that it was because he kept thinking about the trial. It had obviously been on his mind all day. He tried to enjoy himself and he kept on smiling but it was clearly forced, making Hermione nervous and uncomfortable. She had been telling herself for days that it was all going to be alright, that there was no way that he could be sent to Azkaban, but with the trial the next day she was really beginning to worry. All day she was walking around with a heavy feeling in her stomach and a tight feeling of fear and foreboding in her chest. She kept repeating to herself that it was going to turn out right, but this thought was becoming a lot more desperate.

"We spent most of our time in the bookstore though. I haven't got the money for them now, but there are a lot of muggle novels that I'd like to buy, seeing as how I no longer own any books…" she said sadly.

"Looks like you managed to find enough money for a favorite though," said Ginny, nodding to the bag on the floor that had the name of the bookstore printed on it. "Which one?"

"Oh," said Hermione blushing. It was actually Draco's but she didn't want to embarrass him further, so she allowed the others to think it was hers. "Tales from the Brothers Gimm."

"Ah, muggle fairytales, of course," said Harry. "Now you can finally tell Ron about Cinderella."

"Well, I better get started on dinner," said Mrs. Weasley. "It's going to be rather late, but I didn't want to start it until I knew you'd be back."

"Um… Actually, I was wondering… Would you mind if I made dinner tonight, Molly?" Hermione asked hesitantly. She knew that Mrs. Weasley was rather protective when it came to her kitchen.

"Of course not, dear. I've really started to enjoy it when you help me with meals," Mrs. Weasley said brightly.

"Oh, well I actually meant, do you mind if I make it myself?" Hermione said more clearly.

"Oh… well… If you think you can manage it alright. I guess that would be okay." Mrs. Weasley looked a little uncomfortable. Hermione tried not to laugh but it was funny to her just how attached she was to her kitchen.

"I'll be fine. Thank you," Hermione said.

"Maybe I'll just take this time to do some cleaning up," Mrs. Weasley said, heading up the stairs.

"You're making pizza aren't you?" Ginny asked excitedly.

Hermione only smiled in response.

"Oh, yes," said Harry. "I haven't had a good pizza in over a year. I still wonder how it hasn't caught on in the wizard world."

"Can I give you a hand?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Hermione said with relief. "It's a bit much on my own but I really didn't want…" Hermione looked up toward the stairs, afraid to say what she was thinking.

"That mum would run the show?" Ginny offered. "You know she would have. And it's a good thing you refused. Harry and Ron got her to make it one summer and it was terrible."

"She put pickles on it," Harry said with a grimace.

"Mum's an absolutely fantastic cook, but I say, 'leave the muggle recipes to the muggle-raised.'" Ginny chuckled.

"I wouldn't go that far. You know what good pizza tastes like and you're going to help me. Someday you'll be making it on your own," Hermione offered supportively. "But we really should get started cooking because this is going to take awhile."

"Can I help to?" Harry asked.

"The more hands the better," Hermione smiled.

"Well, I don't want to be left out," said Ron. "So count me in too."

"NO!" Harry and Ginny chorused. They had both suffered Ron's cooking before and were not willing risk their special dinner in his hands.

Ron looked grumpy and indignant while Hermione laughed. "Oh, come on," Hermione pleaded. "We can let him do toppings." Ginny and Harry looked at Ron, considering any possible way he could mess up toppings before agreeing.

"Um, C-can I help?" Draco asked tentatively.

"Can you cook?" Ginny asked bluntly.

"I won't know until I've tried," said Draco.

"You've never even tried to cook?" Harry asked in shock.

"That's what house elves are for," Draco stated simply. All mouths fell open. Hermione looked as though she didn't know what to say while the three behind her looked a strange combination of nervous, annoyed, and pleading. Draco first tried to read Hermione's expression but it didn't make any sense to him. When he glanced at the other three Ron and Ginny were shaking their heads 'no' while Harry made a slashing motion across his neck. He looked back at Hermione who looked a little upset but still said nothing. Draco couldn't understand for the life of him why she would be upset by this statement, but took the advice of the other three, leaving the discussion of house elves quickly. "If you're worried about me helping, I can help with 'toppings' too, or pour the drinks," he offered.

"Of course you can help," said Hermione warmly, also dropping the house elves topic. "You have to learn sometime. We'll make an assembly line."

"A what?" asked Ron.

"Nevermind," said Hermione. "Ginny, can you start grabbing a bowl and basic ingredients for the dough? Harry grab two sauce pans and… how many pizzas should we make? It's a special treat. Do you figure half a pie per person? Five pizzas?"

"These are Weasleys," said Harry. "Nearly all extremely hungry men."

"Seven it is," said Hermione. "So two sauce pans and seven cookie sheets. And Draco, follow me to the pantry."

"What about me?" asked Ron.

"Um, maybe I'll cook up some sausage for some toppings so grab some sausage from the icebox and a skillet," Hermione ordered.

Draco followed Hermione into the larder and chuckled as she began placing random cans and bottles of spices in his arms.

"What?" she asked, glancing at him quickly before turning her attention back to the shelves.

"I always heard rumors that you were bossy. And I always knew you were a leader of sorts, but you're really good at taking charge. I'm impressed," Draco admitted.

Hermione blinked and turned around to look at him. That was the very first time in her life that she'd actually been complimented for her 'bossiness'. It had always just annoyed people.

"Is that all then?" Draco asked as Hermione had stopped to look at him.

"Oh, uh, almost," Hermione said, grabbing another few items.

Only thirty minutes later the pizza baking project was in full swing. Ginny had prepared the dough and given it time to rise. She was now cutting it into sections. Draco was helping Hermione with the pizza sauce and sausage. Harry was grating the cheese and Ron was in the larder collecting items for toppings.

"No, no. You're doing it all wrong," said Harry as Ginny started pressing out the dough.

Ginny stood up and pushed her red hair out of her eyes with her wrist, flour smearing across her forehead as she did so. "What? You think you can do better?"

Harry smirked and looked over at Hermione who rolled her eyes. "Just don't drop any, Harry," said Hermione. "I'm worried that we might not have enough as it is."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked.

"No worries, Hermione. I've been cooking since I was eight," Harry reminded.

"He can cook?" Draco asked Hermione in a whisper.

"I can hear you," said Harry, grabbing the piece of dough from Ginny, kneading it gently back into a ball and patting it down with flour. "And yes I can cook. I was practically raised as a house elf by my muggle relatives." Harry spun the dough into the air, catching it on his fists. Ginny, Ron and Draco watched him, looking rather impressed as Hermione rolled her eyes again, turning back to the stove.

"I guess I'll grate the cheese then…" Ginny said, taking Harry's chair. "What is that?"

Harry, Hermione and Draco followed Ginny's gaze to the bottle Ron just put onto the table. "Pickles," Ron said confused and innocent looking. "For toppings."

"Get out," said Ginny, pointing to the living room.

"Pickles don't belong on pizza, Ron. And he can stay," said Hermione. "We'll just have to give him specific directions. Draco, can you cut up the mushrooms?"

Another fifteen minutes passed and all of the pizzas were prepared and waiting for their place in the oven. "Well, you guys can all go get cleaned up and ready for dinner. I can take it from here. It's still going to take awhile because it can only hold three pizzas at a time. I'll call everyone in when it's ready," Hermione offered. As soon as the group left, Hermione headed back to the pantry for some more ingredients. Dinner could not be complete without dessert.

Only thirty minutes later, Hermione was setting the last pizza onto table, every chair but her own filled. All mouths looked to be watering, but none more than Harry's. Hermione watched as they all sat there just waiting. "Well, uh, tuck in," she said. Hermione eyes widened as hands from every angle grabbed for a slice at the same time. She hadn't realized that as the head cook, everyone was waiting on her okay. She laughed to herself, thinking about just how well trained Mrs. Weasley had them. Once the hands cleared, Hermione grabbed for a piece herself and noticed that Draco hadn't started eating his yet. He just sat watching the others.

"Sorry," said Hermione. "I'm sure you're probably not used to eating something so messy with your hands, but give it a try."

"Oh, no," said Draco. "It's not that. I just…" instead of finishing he picked up his slice of pizza and took a bite. "This is really good." He was going to say that regardless of what he really thought, but he was extremely surprised at just how good it really was. He had never had anything quite like it. But even with this pleasant surprise, his mind wandered back to the thought that Hermione had interrupted. He was going to miss this. He was really going to miss sitting around a busy table with everyone shouting this way and that through half chewed mouthfuls. The meal passed faster for Draco than any other that he could remember, but he had a feeling that it was only his perception of it as almost all the pizzas had been finished. Draco just picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth when an arm reached around placing a wine glass in front of him. His eyes widened in surprise. The wine glass was half filled with a firm yellow pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and a raspberry in the center.

"Lemon posset?" Draco asked, looking up to see that the rest of the table had already been served while he wasn't paying attention. His eyes sought out Hermione's and he just stared at her, his mind reeling behind his blank expression. "You remembered that?"

"I know it's the first dessert you wanted when we were freed, but I couldn't get around to it until today. I hope that's alright," Hermione said with a smile.

Draco glanced at the rest of the table and they were all staring at him and Hermione, the exact opposite of what he was hoping for. But he refused to allow the attention to discourage him and he leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of Hermione's mouth. "Thank you."

Hermione blushed furiously and looked down at her dessert, clutching her spoon tightly in her hand, but feeling too giddy and embarrassed to eat until all of the family had removed their attention from her. Draco, on the other hand, paid the others no mind, diving into his dessert as soon as he caught sight of Hermione's smile.

"That was fantastic," said Charlie.

"Yeah, why haven't we ever had this before?" Fred asked.

"Because you weren't here the last time Hermione made pizza for Harry, Ron, and I," Ginny said.

"Yes, I have to hand it to you kids," said Mrs. Weasley. "This was quite an amazing dinner."

"I vote Hermione does this more often," said George.

"Yeah, how many other muggle dishes are we missing out on?" asked Fred, feeling rather deprived.

"We should have muggle dinner night once a week!" Mr. Weasley said excitedly.

Hermione blushed sheepishly and looked nervously at Mrs. Weasley. She was afraid that the woman might be insulted.

"Well… If Hermione is up for it, I might like to learn some new recipes," Mrs. Weasley conceded.

"I'd really love to," she smiled. Harry was absolutely beaming. There were so many dishes he missed when he was in the wizard world. "Well, I better get the dishes-"

"We'll handle the dishes," Charlie offered, also volunteering George and Fred.

"Oh, thank you," said Hermione in surprise. "I guess I'll just go get cleaned up and ready for bed then."

"It is rather late already," Mrs. Weasley said. "I think we should all be getting ready for bed. Tomorrow's a rather busy morning. Does everyone have their dress robes ready?"

Hermione felt her chest tighten. She hadn't forgotten for even a second that the next morning was Draco's trial, but the mention of dress robes made it all feel so real. "Yes," she answered. She took a deep breath and without a word she headed upstairs.

* * *

Draco, Harry, and Ron were upstairs only minutes later dressing in their pajamas. The three of them were silent, setting out their dress robes for the morning. Draco took a deep breath and looked up at Harry and Ron.

"I need to talk to you," he said solemnly. "I know we're not what you'd call friends, but we've been civil… and I don't know who else to go to."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances and looked at Draco warily.

"I know you don't understand and I don't know if you even believe it, but I care about Hermione very much," Draco continued. "I know she thinks that I'm going to win this case, but I can't just count on that. I would give this to her, but I know she wouldn't accept it so please, please make sure she gets this any way you have to," Draco said, handing Harry a small envelope.

Harry took the envelope, looking at Draco curiously and opened it to find an account funds transfer slip. "Draco, this is a lot of money. And you're right, Hermione won't accept this."

"But she needs it," Draco insisted. "She hasn't told anyone, but she really doesn't have money. She spent nearly all she had on clothes. Just make sure she gets what she needs. And I know she'll want to bring her parents back soon, and that's going to cost."

"We can help her just fine," said Harry, trying to hand the envelope back to Draco.

Draco shook his head and refused to take it back. "You say that because you want to help her, because you care about her. So do I. And if I end up in Azkaban then I'm not going to be able to be here for her like you will, so this will help support her in the only way that I can. Please. Anything she wants or needs. Just make sure she gets it."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks again and nodded.

"There's just one other thing I have to ask… and I ask that you hear me out," Draco said apprehensively. "I'd like your permission to go sleep with her tonight."

Ron's mouth fell open and his eyes bulged in deranged fury.

"I don't mean like… Damn it. I don't mean like… sex," Draco said the last word extremely soft. "I just…" his defensive tone melted into a soft sad depression. "I just want to be with her… if this trial doesn't go like we hope then these might be the last few hours I have with her. Please?" he asked with a sad desperation.

Harry didn't even bother looking at Ron this time. He closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath as he thought. "Just… Just don't hurt her," Harry said gently. "If this doesn't go well… I just don't want her hurt anymore than she has to be."

"Me either," replied Draco. "Which is why I really need to talk to her."

Harry nodded.

"Thank you," Draco said with sincere gratitude.

Draco slowly opened the bedroom door and looked down the stairs. The hall was completely empty. He walked down the stairs slowly, hoping that no one would come out to ask him what he was doing. Finally he got down to the first floor landing and entered Ginny's room without knocking.

Ginny and Hermione gasped at Draco's unannounced entrance.

"Draco?" Ginny asked. "Did you need something?"

"Um…" Draco hadn't thought about this part yet. He had gotten past the hard part, Harry and Ron, and now he wasn't quite sure what to say. "Ginny, I-uh, I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I slept next to Hermione tonight…"

Ginny looked at the two of them uncomfortably. "Well… I really wouldn't mind, but Ron and Harry…"

"I've already spoken to Ron and Harry and they don't mind," Draco said, feeling more and more foolish by the second. It wasn't at all strange to him and Hermione to sleep next to each other, but it had to seem very odd to everyone else.

"Oh," said Ginny as if everything was completely fine. "Then yeah, of course. Just let me grab my earplugs."

"W-what?" Draco asked in utter confusion.

"Well, you know Ron's snoring," Ginny said, picking up a set of earplugs. She always had a set handy for whenever George and Fred's experiments got too noisy. "On second thought, I'll just have Harry silence him. Man, I can't wait until my birthday, then I can finally use my wand whenever I want," Ginny said, shoving the earplugs back into her drawer.

"Ginny, I wasn't trying to kick you out," Draco said.

"It'd be awkward if I stayed though. You guys need some privacy tonight. I'll be fine sleeping on your cot. And use my bed," Ginny offered, "It's a bit bigger and comfier than the camp bed. Good night."

The door closed behind Ginny and Draco looked over at Hermione. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't embarrass you," Draco apologized sitting down at the end of Hermione's camp bed while she stood next to Ginny's desk.

"No," said Hermione. "I'm so glad."

Draco looked down. He wasn't sure why, but he was feeling rather uncomfortable. They slept next to each other for weeks, only sleeping apart for the last four nights, but it just felt different now.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Hermione asked, feeling the same heavy ache inside that she felt every time she looked at him that day.

Draco nodded. His insides felt like lead. He'd been dreading the upcoming trial for days, but he was dreading it more and more each passing hour. At this point he felt a terrible nagging itch that was telling him to flee, but it was a feeling that he would never give in to. No matter how frightened he was, he was no coward, he wouldn't run. "And you're afraid too," Draco said, looking up at Hermione.

"Draco, it's going to be alright," Hermione said, desperately trying to convince them both.

"That's not what I need to hear right now," Draco replied. "Tell me you're scared."

Hermione closed her eyes, a deep crease in her brow. "I'm scared."

Draco slowly stood up and walked over to her, gently taking her hand in his own. "Lay with me."

Hermione silently let go of his hand and walked over to Ginny's bed. Pulling back the covers, Hermione slipped into the single bed and pushed her back up to the wall, Draco following and pulling the blankets over them both. Draco laid his head on the pillow staring straight into Hermione's worried face. He took a deep breath, a heavy feeling in his stomach as he struggled to find the words to express his concerns. Hermione watched him nervously, waiting for him to speak.

"Hermione," he said gently. "I know that you want to believe that everything is going to be okay, that we'll win this trial, but the truth is that I might not."

"Draco don't think like th-"

"Hermione, stop," Draco quietly insisted. "I know you don't want to think about this, but we have to talk about it. I want as badly as you for my crimes to be forgiven, but that doesn't mean that it's going to happen. I might be sent to Azkaban."

"No."

"Yes," Draco said firmly. "I know it's painful for you to consider. I know it frightens you. It frightens me too, but it's a strong possibility. And I've accepted that."

"How can you just accept that?!" Hermione demanded.

"I've accepted it long ago. The day V-Voldemort returned, I knew that it'd be unlikely for me to escape his service. I knew the day that he summoned me that this could be my fate. And now… now I've come to terms with that."

"Draco…"

"Please," Draco said, begging her to let him continue. "I'm not saying that I'm resigning to this. I intend to defend myself and my motives, but that might not be enough. No matter what I say, it doesn't take back the decisions I made. No matter what way you look at it, I still committed the crimes. What I've done to right my wrongs might not be enough. I might go to Azkaban." Hermione's frown deepened and she shook her head, trying not to cry or protest. "What I need now, is for you to come to terms with it."

"I can't," she cried.

"You must," said Draco, running his hand over her soft wild curls, allowing his hand to rest on her neck. "You can't go into that courtroom tomorrow without accepting this as a possibility. I'll be okay."

"Draco, stop," Hermione pleaded.

"No," said Draco, tenderly brushing his thumb across her cheek. "You need to hear this. If Azkaban is my fate, I'll be okay. It's not what it was before. There are no dementors now. It would just be like a very long detention. And I've never cast an unforgivable spell so it wouldn't be for life. Azkaban would not be the end for me. If it's what awaits me, I can accept that. And I need you to. I can accept imprisonment but I can't do it if I know that you're going to be out here suffering. I need to know you'll be alright."

"Alright? How could I be alright with a good man going to prison? How could I be alright knowing that you'd be suffering even more than you already have?" Hermione demanded.

"Because you would accept that I wasn't always a good man. Because you would understand that I have to accept the consequences for my actions. But most importantly because it would kill me if you were hurting because of me," Draco said, looking her deep in the eye, begging her to see what this meant to him. "I know that this is difficult for you, but please, try to see this from my side… Please, don't make this harder for me. If I go to Azkaban, I need to know that you'll be alright. I want to you move on with your life. Don't wait for me."

"What?!" Hermione cried. "You-you just what me to forget about you?"

"I didn't say to forget me. I just said not to wait for me. Just because my life might be put on hold, that doesn't mean that yours should. I want you to retrieve your family, go home, get a job, enjoy life," Draco said earnestly. "Hermione, I want to be there for it all, but I might not be. I just need to know that you can let me suffer alone. I refuse to allow you to suffer just because I'm in prison. Don't forget me, but put me behind you. Please. Tell me you can do this. For me."

"Draco…" Hermione bit her lip, a few tears escaping.

"Please," Draco pleaded.

Hermione drew a long shaky breath. "I'll be alright."

"You won't wait?" Draco pressed.

Hermione closed her eyes tight, her face screwing up. She understood what he wanted. She understood why he needed her to say this, but she wasn't sure that she could. She wanted to wait for him if she had to. But if Azkaban was his fate, if it would hurt him to know that she wouldn't move on, then she had to quell his fears. She wasn't sure if she was being truthful, she wasn't sure if she could move on or not, but she had to tell him so. "I won't wait."

"Hermione," Draco continued. "I know that we have something special, a special relationship… But that too. If I'm sent away, don't wait for me. If you can find someone else, don't let him get away."

"Draco!" Hermione cried, getting angrier and more hurt by the second. "Stop! I've had enough. You have to stop. I don't want to think this anymore. Just stop…"

Draco wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close to him. Hermione pressed her face against his shoulder, allowing his pajama shirt to soak up her tears. It was his own pajama shirt, not the twins' and it smelled like him. She breathed in slowly through her nose, taking in his scent, deep and sweet, yet light. If he forced her to think about possibly losing him, then she would hold onto him as tightly as she could tonight, clinging to the smell of his skin, the look of his eyes, the sound of his voice, the soft touch of his fingers on her cheek, and the firmness of his body as he held her close. As much as he wanted her to let go, that's hard she would cling tonight.

"Thank you, Hermione…" Draco said, lightly burying his nose in her hair and placing a firm kiss against the top of her head. "…for everything."

* * *

**I like this chapter but it's sad. Draco feels so hopeless and it kills me. But he has to be realistic and plan for the worst...**

**Please, Please, Please Review! _Please!_**


	17. Tried

Draco stepped out onto the dark polished wood floor of the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic in London and dusted the soot off of his dress robes. Before he was able to make a third swipe at them, Mrs. Weasley vanished the soot with a quick cleaning spell.

"Not much time, dear," she said. "We must get moving."

Draco turned around and saw that the rest of the Weasleys, including Percy, and Harry and Hermione were right behind him. A disgruntled looking wizard pressed past and Draco realized that their large group was blocking two of the floo fireplaces. Draco returned his attention to Mrs. Weasley who was now following Mr. Weasley.

"We must hurry now. We want to be sure we're early," said Mr. Weasley, stopping at a set of golden gates at the end of the Atrium. "Ah, hello, Eric," Mr. Weasley greeted the watchman at the desk. "We're here for Draco Malfoy's trial today."

"All of you?" Eric Munch asked, setting down his newspaper and looking at the large group.

"Yes, but as we're running short on time, let's take those that are participating in the trial first. Draco, give the man your wand," instructed Mr. Weasley.

Draco took a deep breath and handed his wand over to the watchman. He watched the man weigh it and rip a small piece of paper off of the scale before handing Draco back his wand along with a shiny badge that read 'Draco Malfoy, Wizengamot Trial' Draco swallowed hard and pinned the badge to his chest.

"Come on now," Mr. Weasley said hurriedly, waving the small group behind him. "We'll meet you there, Molly."

Draco rushed behind Mr. Weasley again. That's all he'd done that morning – rush. Never had he seen such chaos as everyone running around the Burrow asking about shoes and breakfast, court papers, hairbrushes and any other random item that might have to do with getting ready for the trial. Draco felt like a statue among the bustling group. It was like an out-of-body experience. He felt as though he were looking down from the ceiling, watching himself sitting still and silent at the breakfast table, watching the others scrambling around as he sat unmoving. He couldn't eat that morning. He tried but he just couldn't do it. His heart had been thumping so fast for so long that he feared it might just tire out and stop.

He followed Mr. Weasley to a lift and almost bumped into him from behind as he wasn't paying attention. When the lift doors opened, a large group of wizards and witches exited. Mr. Weasley stepped to the side and allowed the others to enter. Draco finally noticed the others that were following them. He knew they left more than half the group, but he could no longer remember who. Draco squeezed into the corner of the lift as Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Fred, and finally Mr. Weasley entered. Mr. Weasley sent the lift from the Atrium (level eight) to level nine.

"Level 9, Department of Mysteries," a woman's voice announced brightly as the lift doors opened.

The group filed out but Draco just stood there, staring down the plain narrow hallway to a lone black door at the end. He'd seen much of the Ministry while accompanying his father, but he had never before seen this hall.

"Come on, Draco," Mr. Weasley urged. Draco continued to stare straight ahead as the group stared back at him.

"Come on, Draco," Hermione said gently, delicately taking his hand in hers. As if snapping out of a trance, Draco looked down at her and nodded, exiting the lift with her hand in his. As they neared the black door, Draco realized that it was not their destination. To the left of the black door was a staircase leading further down. Draco's heart began hammering in his ears as they entered a dungeon-like hallway made of dark stone.

"This is it," Mr. Weasley said, stopping outside of a door near the end of the hall. He looked over at Draco, a solid look on his face. It was hard to find a word to describe it, but it was obvious what the look conveyed. Mr. Weasley felt for Draco, sharing his nervousness, filled with strong pity and hope. "Now we wait."

The hall was silent. Each one of them lost deep in their thoughts, each one carrying inside of them a grave anxiety. Draco looked over at Hermione who was fidgeting uncomfortably with her deep violet dress robes. Draco looked down at himself and adjusted his tie. Hermione looked up at him and moved his hands aside, adjusting his tie for him.

"Well, it's 9:28, perhaps you should knock to announce your presence," Mr. Weasley suggested.

Draco gave a stiff nod.

"We can do this," said Hermione supportively.

Draco nodded again and rapped smartly on the heavy wooden door. Almost as soon as he did so it opened upon a large man in blood red robes. "Draco Malfoy?" he asked. Draco nodded in answer. "This way. And you are?" he said, as Hermione made to follow.

"My name is Hermione Granger. I'm here to represent him," Hermione answered firmly.

"Very well," the man answered leading them both into the room. Draco's heart pounded in his ears as he looked up at many raised benches sitting high above him on all sides. The benches in front of him occupied by about fifty witches and wizards in plum-colored robes. Draco followed the man to the center of the room and stared at a solid-looking chair of thick wood that was covered in chains. The man nodded and Draco took a deep breath. This was where he left his fear. His face lost it's vulnerable nervous appearance and took on one of firm determination. He sat in the chair, placing his arms on the rests and the chains sprung to life, binding his arms and legs to the chair. Hermione gasped and the man looked up at her. He waved his wand, conjuring a highly decorative wooden chair for her and nodding to it. Hermione nodded, looking pained and nervous at Draco.

"As the accused is now present, let us proceed," a man at the front and center of the Wizengamot spoke. Hermione looked up at him and recognized him as Gawain Robard, new Chief Warlock, who was until recently the head of the Aurors' office. "This hearing takes place on the thirteenth of May, 1998 in the offenses committed against the wizarding community by one Draco Abraxas Malfoy. Interrogators: Gawain Octavius Robard, Chief Warlock; Alastor Henry Gumboil, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Gilbert Arnold Wimple, International Magical Office of Law; Court Scribe: Stamford Walden Edgecomb; Representative for the defense…"

Hermione looked slightly surprised as the man's eyes looked directly at her for the first time. "Hermione Jean Granger," she announced. At her announcement the man looked closer at her, a few of the other members of the court muttering quietly to each other.

"Very well, let us proceed," Robard continued. "Mr. Malfoy, you are here today because you stand accused of being part of the active group known as the Death Eaters, follower of the dark wizard previously know as Tom Riddle, who shall here-on be referred to as 'You-Know-Who' You are further accused of assisting the group known as the Death Eaters into Hogwarts, the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledore, and imprisonment of a muggle-born witch. So let us waste no time. Mr. Malfoy, You are accused of being part of the Death Eaters, a direct follower of You-Know-Who, how do you plead?"

Draco looked down, ashamed to meet their eyes. "I do not contest," he said clearly. This was his response, the response Hermione told him to give. To claim guilty is to admit to wrong-doing, to not contest simply means that you do not argue the fact.

"And you were aware at the time you joined that it was a punishable offense to follow You-Know-Who?"

"Yes, Sir," said Draco.

"You also stand accused of abetting a group of Death Eaters in entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. How do you plead?" Robard continued, flipping through a stack of papers.

"I do not contest."

"And were you aware at the time that it is illegal to enter or assist others in entering the school without the permission of the current headmaster or headmistress?"

"Yes, sir," Draco answered, glancing over at Hermione. He knew that they had just started the hearing, but it didn't feel like it was going very well from the start. Hermione looked back over at Draco, obviously nervous herself, but waiting patiently for her chance to speak.

"You are further accused of the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledore on the night of June the sixth, 1997. How do you plead?"

"Not Guilty," Draco said, looking up at the Wizengamot defensively.

"You deny these charges?" Robard said in surprise, his bushy eyebrows disappearing into his neatly combed white hair.

"I do."

"We have here a statement from Mr. Harry Potter claiming to have been present on the roof of the astronomy tower on the night of Professor Dumbledore's murder. It says here that you held a discussion with your headmaster explaining that you were on a mission of You-Know-Who to kill him. What do you have to say to that statement?" the man introduced as Alastor Gumboil asked, looking over a pair of thick black glasses.

"It is true that I held that discussion with him. It's true that it was my mission. I even disarmed him, but I had no intention of killing him. I-"

"No intention of killing him?" Robard asked incredulously. "And you expect the court just to accept what you claim your intentions were?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, but yes I do," Draco said a little more forcefully than he meant to. As soon as he said this he forced himself to remain calm but firm. "I would prove it if I could, Sir, but how can one prove their intentions?"

"Very well," said Robard, flipping to his next paper.

"Please, Sir," said Hermione timidly but clearly. "We have witnesses to speak in defense of-"

"I see no need for witnesses at this time," said Robard.

"But please, Sir, Harry Potter can testify to Draco's intentions. He was-" Hermione continued.

"We already have Mr. Potter's account of the evening. I do not believe it necessary to drag any witnesses into the matter," Robard said, cutting Hermione off. "Now Mr. Malfoy, you also stand accused of Imprison-"

"Excuse me please, Sir," Hermione insisted, feeling extremely affronted by the man's rude manner. "But how can you possibly think that witnesses for Mr. Malfoy's defense are unnecessary in determining justice?"

"Miss Granger, I'm afraid that another outburst on your behalf will not be tolerated. And I do see witnesses as unnecessary in this case as Mr. Malfoy has yet to deny any charges but one. It is true that we cannot prove or disprove his intentions. But as for the other charges, there is no need to waste time with witnesses unless they are somehow able to prove that Mr. Malfoy was not a Death Eater," Robard said heatedly. "Now you would do well not to interrupt again. Mr. Malfoy, we have here statements from both an Antonin Dolohov and a Rabastan Lestrange that you were involved in the imprisonment of Hermione Granger. How do you plead?"

Draco looked over miserably at Hermione, "I do not contest. However-"

"Very well," Robard interrupted. "The accused, as per his own admission, stands convicted-"

"Wait!" Hermione cried, standing up, her hands angry by her sides. "He was involved in my imprisonment at first but he was never cruel. He was forced to do it and even then he-"

"That's enough!" Robard said, getting to his feet as well. "I warned you before about anymore outbursts. Please see Miss Granger out."

"No!" Hermione cried. The man who led her in took a tight hold on her arm and began to pull her toward the door. "You have to listen! He's not a bad man! He was forced against his will! He changed sides! You can't just-"

"The accused, as per his admission, is convicted and found guilty of being an active and involved member of the group known as the Death Eaters, for abetting known fugitives into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and for detaining Hermione Granger as a prisoner of war…"

"Stop! You can't do this!" Hermione shouted, struggling against the man in red robes that was pulling her out of the door. "He has witnesses. He's allowed witnesses in his defense! He's changed! He never wanted-"

"...And for these crimes, Draco Malfoy is hereby sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in Azkaban Fortress starting today. Court-"

Hermione was shoved forcefully from the room, the heavy wooden door slammed against her back. Hermione instantly fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Hermione!?" Harry shouted in shock, he and Ginny squatting down next to her. "What happened? We weren't called. Hermione what happened?"

"It's over. They wouldn't hear him. They wouldn't even give us a chance," Hermione sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "I tried… I tried but they wouldn't hear me at all."

Harry helped her to her feet and pulled her tight to him as she wept, but his body stayed firm and angry, his jaw set.

The door opened behind them and Hermione stepped to the side. "Draco!" she cried reaching out toward him. Harry held her back in his firm hold. Draco was escorted by two men dressed in red, both holding him under his arms. "Draco!"

Mr. Weasley set a gentle but firm hand on one of the men's shoulders. "Proudfoot," he said calmly and imploringly. "He's not going anywhere. Just give him a minute."

The man known as Proudfoot looked at Mr. Weasley, then Draco and released his hold, the other man following suit.

"Draco!" Hermione cried, running into him. Draco wrapped his arms around her as she wept.

"Hermione," Draco said gently. "We talked about this. I'm going to be alright."

"No," she sobbed.

"Yes, Hermione," Draco pulled back and lifted her chin to look her in the eye. "No more fear. No more tears. We talked about this. I'm going to be fine." Draco bent forward and placed a delicate kiss on the edge of her lips. "Move on."

Draco took two slow steps backward, reluctant to take his eyes off of her, but he turned resolutely and took his place between the two men. He was seized by the arms once more but he walked tall and proud between them. The fear of uncertainty was over and he could now accept his fate, and he was determined to do it with pride. He was not proud of his crimes, but he could walk with pride of the man he knew he was.

Hermione's legs gave out but Harry caught her, pulling her to him once more. Hermione laid her head on Harry's shoulder watching Draco walk down the long dungeon-like corridor.

Harry watched as Draco's feet disappeared up the staircase. He turned to the others, the entire group together again. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny both looked ready to join Hermione's tears while the men stood stiff and cold.

"This isn't justice," Harry uttered darkly. Harry transferred Hermione to Ron's arms. Ron accepted her tenderly but looked at Harry in confusion. Harry turned without a word and walked down the corridor with his shoulders back in proud determination, purpose in his step.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked taking a step after Harry.

Harry spoke loud and clear, turning to them at the bottom of the stairs. "To find it."

* * *

***pout* **

**Poor Draco and Hermione. I don't know what to say beyond that, except that it's not the end of the story. **

**Please let me know what you think.**

**Please Review.**


	18. Asserted

Hermione clung to Harry, watching Draco being escorted up the stairs from level ten. She buried her face in his shirt. She couldn't figure out how this could possibly be happening. She knew that she discussed this with Draco, but this wasn't the same. Discussing and living were two very different things. But more than that, Draco was right. The Wizengamot seemed to have their mind made up about him before he ever set foot in the courtroom. He didn't stand a chance from the start. This wasn't justice. Harry echoed her thoughts aloud.

"This isn't justice," Harry said, venom in his voice. Hermione looked up as Harry handed her over to Ron who embraced her tight in his arms. Hermione watched as Harry walked down the hall. Her heart hammered in her chest. She could feel something deep within Harry vibrating through the room, an anger and passion that was contagious. He had purpose in his step and it lit a fire inside of her, a small spark of hope. She didn't know what he was going to do, but he refused to sit idle.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked just as Harry turned toward the stairs.

Harry placed his right foot on the bottom stair and looked over at them. "To find it."

Hermione watched him disappear up the stairs and the fire within her grew stronger. He was going to find justice. How could she have possibly lost hope for even a minute? Draco told her to move on… that's how. But she couldn't. She told him she could, but not like this. His story was not told yet, and before she told Draco that she would let it go, she had promised him that she would make sure the world knew who he was and what he did. His story was still untold and she would not rest until he was given a fair trial, one where his every decision was taken into account.

"Well, George, what do you think? Is it time?" Fred asked.

"I believe it is, Fred. We've been silent much too long," said George.

"We still haven't thought of a clever name," said Fred.

"No time, let's go," replied George, nodding toward the stairs.

"Wait," said Hermione, stepping away from Ron. "I'm coming with you."

"Where are you going?" Ron asked, surprised that Hermione could follow the twins' cryptic speech.

"They're going to talk to the Daily Prophet, right?" Hermione added in question toward the twins. They just smirked in reply, also impressed that she could keep up so easily. "They need to know. The world needs to know and I promised Draco awhile ago that I would make sure of that."

"That's a girl," said George, patting Hermione on the back, escorting her toward the stairs. "The Wizengamot will be pelted with owls."

Hermione smirked. She still had a heavy feeling in her stomach, but at least she had something that she was doing. There was no time for sadness, she was ready to fight.

"A petition," Ginny suggested to the small group that was left standing in the hallway. "We could personally inform people. There's a huge group of curious people who read yesterday's prophet and came to find out about Draco's trial. We could speak to them personally and see if they would be willing to sign a petition to have Draco released… or at least given fair trial."

"I think that's a great idea," agreed Charlie. "I'll help you write it and speak to them."

"No offense, Charlie, but I think I'm much better at writing official documents," stated Percy. "I'll write it while you two go get started talking to people."

"I'll help as well," said Mrs. Weasley.

"And me," said Ron.

"And I'm going to go see who I can talk to in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I have a few friends up there," said Mr. Weasley. "Everyone back to the Burrow when you're through."

* * *

Harry walked up the stairs to level nine and stared fixedly ahead as the empty lift stopped in front of him. He walked in and closed the gate, the lift bringing him up to the Atrium. The hall was packed and looked incredibly disorganized. Many people had turned up to hear the results of the trial. The Daily Prophet article had really gotten people curious about him. But Harry's business had nothing to do with the public… at least not yet. Harry tapped his foot impatiently, many witches and wizards entering and exiting the lift at each floor, each one staring at him. But he was used to the stares at this point. Harry was alone once again as the lift rose to the final level, level one, offices for the Minister for Magic and other administrative staff.

Harry walked out of the lift and down a short hallway, turning left, and left again. He stopped at a large oak desk belonging to the Minister's secretary. The red-haired woman looked extremely busy, the hair once pinned neatly atop her head was beginning to fall loose piece by piece, her small pair of glasses sliding down her nose as she wrote quickly on a long sheet of parchment, dipping her quill almost as frequently as he blinked.

"Excuse me," Harry said. Normally he would hate to interrupt, but this felt urgent and he couldn't stand still much longer. "I'm here to see the Minister."

"And do you have an appointment Mr…?" The woman finished dotting her last 'i' and looked up, her pursed lips parting in a look of shock. "Harry Potter?"

"Yes. And I mean, 'no' I don't have an appointment. I was just hoping he had a free minute to see me," Harry said.

"Well, um… I'll just go and ask him…" the woman answered, getting up from her seat smiling excitedly yet sheepishly. As the woman disappeared Harry just sighed. The stares he got used to, but it was when people acted like that toward him that he really began to get annoyed. He'd often seen people swarming celebrities in the muggle world, but they almost always worked for the spotlight. Harry had to work hard to try to walk in the shadows and blend in.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Kingsley asked, walking toward Harry with his steady long strides, the red-haired woman taking small quick steps to catch up.

"Do you have a minute to talk?" Harry asked, glancing at the secretary as if to let Kingsley know that he wished this to remain private.

"Of course," said Kingsley, a crease of concern edging into his brow.

Kingsley led Harry into his office, closing the double doors behind him. Kingsley walked across the large room toward the desk, gesturing at one of the two comfortable looking chintz armchairs across from Kingsley's own. Harry glanced at it but right back up at Kingsley. He couldn't sit. The adrenaline and anger coursing through him were too fierce to allow him to sit. Kingsley's concern increased and he made no move toward his chair, standing a few feet away from Harry.

"What's this about, Harry? What's wrong?" Kingsley asked in his deep baritone.

"I have a favor to ask," said Harry.

"Oh?" Kingsley asked, straightening up a bit. "And what is this regarding?"

"Draco Malfoy," Harry stated simply.

"Ah," said Kingsley, putting his hands into his pockets. "The trial didn't go as you hoped then."

"No. It didn't," Harry said, trying to keep a handle on his anger. What happened in the courtroom was not Kingsley's fault; he had only now even guessed its outcome.

"Well now, Harry, I really can't help you there," said Kingsley. "I have nothing to do with court proceedings. And honestly, I'm rather surprised that you would even bring it up. Surely I thought you would have understood that he would possibly, if not probably, be convicted."

"I did," said Harry. "And I was prepared for that possible outcome, but it's not his sentence that I'm upset about as much as his trial. He was not given fair representation."

"Harry, I repeat again," replied Kingsley. "I may be Minister for Magic, but I do not have control over court proceedings. I cannot, nor would I ever feel that I have the authority to, override the Wizengamot's ruling."

"I'm not asking for you to change his sentence," Harry declared. "I'm asking that you push for him to be given a fair trial. Hermione, the representative for his defense, was removed from the courtroom and he was not allowed to give any witnesses! That's not legal! It's what Fudge tried to do to me at my hearing. If Dumbledore didn't show up, I would have been convicted just like Draco. According to the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, he was a right to witnesses!"

"Harry, you're right. And you have every right to file a-"

"You know damn well that filing a complaint isn't going to do a damn thing! It will get sent around to all corners, everyone shrugging their shoulders at it saying 'who cares, he was a death eater,'" Harry argued.

"Harry, I tell you again. It is not my place to interfere. My hands are tied," Kingsley said simply.

"Then stick your neck out!" Harry demanded forcefully.

"Excuse me?" Kingsley asked, perplexed and highly affronted.

"That's what it is isn't it. You don't want to stick your neck out for someone as worthless as Draco Malfoy. If it were me, if it were Dumbledore, you would pull every string you could to make sure that we were given fair trial," Harry accused angrily. "If your hands are tied then you tied them yourself and for the sake of your image."

"You're out of line, Potter," Kingsley said forcefully, his eyes narrowing.

"No, I don't think I am," said Harry, taking a challenging step forward. "The speech you made at the memorial service really touched me. The way you talked about building the wizarding world anew, finding peace in justice and equality, I really thought that they finally found a Minister that would make the right choices, but you're turning out to be just like the last two. Say what you will to the world, but you're going to sit up here and decide what to do based on what the wizarding community and the departments of the ministry will think of you!"

"Potter," Kingsley said warningly. "You've gone too far."

"No, I haven't!" Harry shouted. "I'm going to go as far as I have to." Harry said spinning around angrily and heading toward the door.

"Harry, get back here," Kingsley ordered fiercely, almost as a father to his son. Harry turned around, his eyes narrowed angrily, considering defiance. "Sit." Kingsley demanded pointing stiffly at the chair he offered politely only a minute ago. Harry grudgingly took a seat, a dark infuriated look on his face. "You seriously have to work on that attitude of yours, Potter. I invited you in because I consider you a friend, not because of your fame, but either as a friend or a Minister, I don't take kindly to being addressed that way," Kingsley said standing over Harry. "I understand that you are upset with the way things have gone for Malfoy, but running around squealing and throwing your anger at people isn't going to accomplish anything but firm their resolve to plug their ears to your protests. You've been very outspoken in the past and it's been overlooked, but it's not going to be for much longer. You're an adult and you're playing with people now that won't submit to your tantrums. You've got to learn to control that tongue of yours or people are going to change their minds about you really quickly."

"But see, that's where we differ. I don't care what people think of me. They can say what they want. Their opinions are fickle. I won't allow their opinions to decide what to stand up for," Harry said heatedly.

"And I'm not saying you should. I'm saying you have to watch how you come across. You may think that image is unimportant, but how well do you think you'd be able to get any sort of attention about this if you were an average person. You image gives you influence to make changes that you couldn't otherwise. You may criticize me for protecting my image, but if my image is tarred than my influence goes down and my efforts to produce change become futile. I'm not saying to allow your image to influence your values, but don't let your temper break down your influence," Kingsley took a deep breath and stared at Harry who looked to be quietly seething, his jaw set. _A least he's thinking on it,_ Kingsley thought. "Now, that being said… I agree with you. Draco Malfoy is worth no less than any other man and every man deserves a fair trial. If we're going to change this world at all, then we have to stop walking around with preconceived notions. The law states that he does have the right to call witnesses in his defense and I will see that it happens. I can't promise that his sentence will change, but I will promise that he will be allowed to present a fair defense. Now please take the others back to the Burrow with you and I shall be there as soon as I can sort things out."

Harry stood up and nodded to Kingsley. "Thank you, Minister," Harry said, extending his hand.

"It's 'Kingsley' in here, Harry. If you were anything but a friend, I would have thrown you out long ago," said Kingsley, shaking Harry's hand. Harry smirked in response. "And as a friend, I ask that this whole conversation remains between us."

"Don't worry," Harry said with a cocky smirk, "I won't hurt your image."

"Nor I yours," Kingsley said, looking equally smug.

"Which I will work on upholding…" Harry said more seriously, the simple tone of his voice qualifying as a sign of respect and appreciation. He and Kingsley both snapped each other back in line. They were even, they were enlightened, and both of them could leave the office with a greater appreciation for each other and themselves. Harry left the office feeling much lighter than when he'd gone in. He had had faith in Kingsley and it was not wasted. Whether Draco's sentence changed or not, he would at least be given a chance to defend his honor. Justice would not be denied.

* * *

**Go Harry!**

**To answer one of my reviews - **MusicMayhem93** - I would love to do more Dramione stories, but it really depends on inspiration. I absolutely love Draco and Hermione together, but it's a hard write. Because they're such opposites it takes a real plot to bring them together realistically. I do tend to get inspired very randomly and frequently (I've written 9 fanfics since August! Still can't believe it myself!) so just hope for inspiration. For all my Fred/Hermione fans, I'm already three chapters in on developing a new story, but I don't know when I'll post it.**

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I have never really concentrated on Harry before, but here he is to save the day! Yay, Scarred Savior!**

**Please Review!**


	19. Tormented

Draco stood in an empty stone room staring a mirror on the wall. He took one last good look at himself running a hand through his silvery-blond hair. It was already getting rather shaggy compared to how short he usually kept it and he couldn't help but wonder what it would look like after seven years. He looked down at himself and finished buttoning his set of simple black wizard robes. The guard had already taken his wand and his own robes, leaving him with nothing of his own. His was given this black robe, a traditional wizard robe with no pants or shirt, more like what a muggle might consider the basic form of a dress, and a pair of black socks. His shoes were also taken, but the guard assured him he would not be needing shoes. Finishing his last button, Draco turned around and nodded to the guard.

Without a word, the guard walked from the room, Draco right behind, and led him down a dark corridor lit only by candles. Draco took the chance to glance out of every small window he passed. There were very few of them, but he stared for as long as he could while still keeping up with the guard. The sky outside was a dismal grey and Draco could feel a light mist coming through but couldn't decide if it was from the dark clouds or the surrounding sea. Either way, the weather seemed to fit the occasion. And though Draco took some comfort in the way the sky mirrored how he felt within, he had still hoped to catch one last sight of the sun. Draco looked at the guard's back wondering if he would ever be allowed out of his cell. He had never wondered before then about how the prisoners bathed, but he had a feeling that once he reached his cell, he would not see the outside of it for seven whole years… unless perhaps he was gravely ill or hurt. But even then he wasn't sure.

Draco looked at the several cell doors that they were passing, surprised that he had not heard a single sound from any of them. He knew that they were occupied by the markings on the doors, but there wasn't a single sound but for the swish of his robes and the sound of the guard's shoes on the stone floor. The man stopped outside a cell door and turned to Draco. Draco looked at the door, the name 'Malfoy' on a plaque beside it. The man waved his wand at it and it glowed blue for a moment. The guard reached down and opened it.

"Welcome to your new home, Malfoy," the guard said. Draco took a deep breath and slowly took a few steps forward, remembering the feel of each step and burning it to memory. They were his last few steps of freedom. Draco felt as though a piece of his soul was ripped away as his first foot stepped down inside the small cell. He looked around the room, taking inventory of his 'new home'. There was a lumpy-looking mattress on a basic metal frame in one corner, a thin brown woolen blanket folded at the end of it. Draco noticed that the length of the bed measured almost the full width of the room. A small chamber pot in the corner at the foot of the bed made Draco wince. _So much for modern convenience, but I guess I should have expected as much._ And on the wall opposite, a single candle burned in a bracket on the wall.

"Now let me make this plain and easy for you, Malfoy," the guard said. "There may not be any dementors here anymore, but there's still no chance of escape, so give up that thought right now. Everything in here, including your robes, have unbreakable charms on them. That chamber pot will vanish your business, but nothing else. That candle has an eternal flame that will not burn out. It gives heat and light, but it will not burn or spread. Also, this room, when locked, allows no magic, accidental, wandless, or otherwise, so don't waste your time. The window and bars on your door are simply so that I can see in. The slot," The guard gestured to a rectangular slot near the bottom of the door, just wider than a mail slot. "is where your meals will come in. But that also is for my convenience, not yours. Once the door is locked, a barrier goes up, blocking those accesses to you. And I think that covers it for now. If I think of anything later, I'll let you know." The guard didn't wait for a response before he walked out.

"Wait," said Draco, speaking to the man for the first time, just before the door closed. The man took one step back into the room and stared at Draco, his face cold. "What do I call you?" Draco asked.

"You won't need to," the guard answered. At this the man stepped out and slammed the door behind him. As soon as the door closed, the blue light flashed on the door again, the barrier back in place.

Draco looked around uncomfortably at the room, the full weight of it all setting upon him. This was his home now, this tiny stone-walled cell. He owned nothing that was in this room. It all belonged to them. But this was all he had. This was his life now for the next seven years, just what was before his eyes.

Draco slowly walked over to the bed and picked up the blanket. He folded it again to make it thicker and placed it at the head of the bed as a pillow and collapsed onto it. There was nothing to do, so he might as well get comfortable. _Guess pillows are just too dangerous... or luxurious. _Draco scrunched the blanket up more to make himself more comfortable.

He stared at the stone ceiling above his head, then the wall at the foot of the bed, imagining a Holyhead Harpies poster there. He looked over next to him, imagining a side table with a lamp and a photo of Hermione. _Hermione…_ His mind immediately flew to the image of her in the Ministry building crying on Potter's shoulder as he was led away. The pained look in her eyes and the tears leaking down her cheeks when he had held her chin, forcing her to look at him. He wondered where she was just then.

He gave a mirthless chuckle, wondering how and when he had started caring for her so deeply. He had always been a selfish person and he knew it, and here he was worrying about how she was, where she was, how she was feeling, not caring at all for himself. He was fine. Well, he wasn't sure fine was the word for it, but he wasn't hurting. He'd left his fear and concern back at the Ministry. There was no use for it now. It would be a waste of time and energy to sit around concerning himself about it. It was done now; this was his home, his fate. It all felt very surreal. He felt hopeless, yet somehow it was not depressing. He had no worries for himself here as he no longer had any dreams or goals. There was nothing to do. In an odd way it almost felt liberating. There was nothing to fear here. He just simply _was_. He felt as though he could barely be considered a person, he just simply _was_. He was just like the bed in the room; he simply existed.

It was Hermione that he was worried about. She was still out there in the world and she was worried about him. She had no idea how he felt. She was mourning for him. Maybe he wasn't like something that just existed. He suddenly felt as though he were dead, something that _once_ existed. But if he were dead, then what was this that was left? Only a group of thoughts and memories? So many memories in his life, but they all ended with Hermione. He could pick any word and follow it's path of thought, somehow returning to thoughts of her. How – _Why_ did he let himself become so attached to her? Perhaps it would have been easier if he hadn't. But no, that wasn't right. If he'd never known her he'd still be the selfish angry person he'd been before. No, no matter how bad it hurt that he no longer had her, it would always be for the best that he once had. _'It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.' _He'd heard those words so many times before, but only now did he truly understand and appreciate them.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. _Hermione…_ He could picture her so clearly. He imagined her lying in bed next to him, her head propped up by her hand. Her soft unruly honey-brown curls falling down her neck and all over the pillow. Her resplendent eyes shined. He never knew that brown eyes could be so dazzling and alluring and hold such depth. Her smile was so soft, her pale pink lips had the slightest plump pout to them. Her skin was so smooth, and he chuckled when he thought of how adorable her freckles were. She hadn't many, just the lightest, tiniest spattering in a line across her cheeks and nose. One might never even notice them unless they were up close. He certainly never noticed until they had been rescued and taken to Aunt Muriel's house. He wondered if their children might get those freckles.

Draco immediately snapped out of his blissful romantic daydreaming, wondering where on earth that last thought had come from. He had never thought anything like that before… with anyone. He hated himself for ever thinking of it. He had no right thinking such things. So he loved her, so she loved him, that didn't mean that anything like that would ever come from their relationship, especially not now.

Draco's mind immediately returned to the picture of Harry holding her while she cried and the image transformed. The man in the picture was no longer Harry, but someone he didn't know. They were no longer in the Ministry, but out in a lovely garden. She was not crying anymore, but staring into the man's eyes with longing just before he pressed his lips against hers. _Damn it! What are you doing to yourself Draco?! It's over. That's what you want. You want her to move on with her life. She can't just wait around pining after a man that's locked away for seven years. She's smart and attractive and absolutely brilliant. What guy wouldn't go after her? _...You_ never did before. Neither had any other guy. You and most others called her ugly. Well, she wasn't the most attractive thing. Her hair was always so frizzy, she had big front teeth, she had no real shape to her… but that changed… She _is_ shapely now, she has beautiful, subtle but beautiful, curves. Her breasts may not be as large as some, but they suit her and her figure well. And her teeth… I don't know when it happened, but her teeth aren't like what they were. They're perfect. And her once frizzy hair, though still wild, is more curls than frizz. She's beautiful… but really, hasn't she always been? She may not have always been attractive, but she was always adorable… But the whole world must see her beauty now. Men who once scoffed at her are sure to want her now. I can't possibly be the only one to think of her as beautiful._

He pictured her kissing the man again, the kiss increasing in intensity. Suddenly he imagined her rolling around on a bed the man, him touching her. Anger was rising inside him. The picture snapped, leaving in his mind a picture of her broken body on the floor of the cellar chamber at Malfoy Manor. Whoever she ended up with… would they know what she's been through? She's delicate. That would be a delicate matter with her. She wasn't like other girls. She was hurt and broken in so many ways. He knew that she would heal, but he also knew that she would always be a bit more fragile because of the time she was imprisoned. No other man could know her like he did.

_STOP IT!_ Draco grabbed his head and yanked at his hair. _What are you doing to yourself? This is how people go mad in here! You've only been here about an hour or something. Get a grip! Just face it here and now. You're here now. This is your life. Whatever you had is gone. You told her to move on and that's really what you want, but you don't have to imagine it. Hope that she does well. Hope that she finds someone to love and care for her. She deserves it. But then drop it, Draco! Think on other things._

The hours went by and Draco didn't know what to do with himself. He had angered himself with all his thinking and was trying to concentrate on other things. He had spent some time replaying one of his favorite novels in his mind. He listened to some of his favorite songs in his head. He paced the room, stepping on the lines in the bricks like he did when he was a child. He spent more than an hour exercising, stretching and working his muscles. If he was going to be there for seven years, he wasn't about to let himself get weak.

But as the hours passed he missed her. As he realized before, all his thoughts ended in Hermione. He sat on the floor near the door, his back against the wall and his knees drawn up, staring out of the meal slot. He wasn't sure if it was getting lighter out there, or darker in the cell, but he kept glancing out of it. He closed his eyes and imagined Hermione sitting next to him, playing in his head a conversation they might have had. In his mind he was telling her about how he thought it wasn't so bad when he arrived, but that he was already beginning to miss her. In his mind she spoke back comforting words. But he always remembered that it was in his head. This was going to be hell.

A thump on the door startled Draco from his thoughts.

"Malfoy!" the guard shouted in greeting. Draco stared at the door in confusion. He had received two meals during the day already, lunch and dinner. Both were accompanied by a loud thump on the door before a tray of food magically squeezed through the slot and drifted to the floor. The tray of food magically vanished after about thirty minutes, the first time before he had even finished eating. The guard hadn't spoken to him at all during these times. He knew it had to be sometime late evening. Why would the guard be here? "Stand back from the door. Someone's here to see you."

Draco leaned forward, squinting his eyes to see through the slot. He saw the man's legs, but just behind them he saw the hem of a set of deep violet robes and a pair of black Mary Janes. _Hermione? No. No. It can't be._

The door opened, almost hitting Draco in the head. He sat back against the wall and stared up in disbelief at the face he'd been thinking about all day. It wasn't possible. How could it be possible that she was there?

"Draco!" she cried. Before he could find an explanation she was on her knees with her arms wrapped around his neck. She felt real. But could she be real? Perhaps he had gone to bed and didn't remember. He had to be dreaming this. But she felt so real. Draco wrapped one arm around her back. If this was a dream or not, he would enjoy this moment. He pressed his face against her and breathed in her alluring scent. Her scent. She had a scent, _her_ scent. She was real. This was real. She was _really_ there.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Draco asked, still feeling lost. He pushed her back to look in her face. Her brown eyes were sparkling just as he remembered.

"I'm here to get you out," she said, positively beaming.

"What?" Draco asked. This was making less and less sense every second.

"You weren't given a fair trial. We all did everything we could. We pushed and got you another trial. A _fair_ trial," Hermione said. Draco looked at her. She was glowing like an angel and it was distracting to him. It took a moment for her words to process.

"I-I get another trial?" he said, his voice shaky followed by what sounded almost like a demented chuckle. Maybe he'd gone mad already.

"No!" Hermione said brightly, her glowing energy radiating through the room like sunshine. "You've already had one!" she replied. Draco looked at her. Perhaps he had gone mad. She wasn't making any sense at all. "You weren't needed at the second trial because you had already given your testimony. But we all went and testified for you. You were acquitted of all charges! Draco, you're _free!_" Hermione exclaimed.

Draco stared at her. He heard what she said. It made sense. But it was so preposterous, so absurd that he just couldn't believe it. He believed her; she would never lie to him, but she had to be mistaken. Or he was mistaken? Maybe he _didn't_ hear her right. He stared blinking up at her face in confusion and was distracted again by her freckles. No. Now was not the time. He had to listen. Maybe she would say it again.

"Come on!" she ordered with a bright smile. "Let's get you out of here."

Hermione got to her feet and Draco looked over at the guard in the doorway. He still didn't know the man's name. Had the guard heard her? He looked like he had, but he didn't look surprised. Did he know? Was it _really_ real?

"Draco?" Hermione asked, starting to become nervous by Draco's confused and pained look. _Have they hurt him?_ She thought, looking over at the guard suspiciously. "Draco, come on," Hermione said gently this time. She sounded almost motherly with the warmth of her voice. It was much softer than his own mother ever had. Hermione would make a good mother one day. He envisioned the unknown man with Hermione again and felt the same hurt and anger that he had hours ago. But then he looked back up at her face. She was bent over with her hand extended to him.

_This is real._ He reminded himself. She came for him. She wanted him. He was free. Free to start planning a life for himself. He didn't need to visualize her with someone else… she still wanted to be his. Draco slowly got to his feet and stared at Hermione's outstretched hand. A small smile finally tugged at his lips. _This is real._ He placed his hand in hers and his smile grew. He turned to the door, to the guard and his smile fell slightly but Hermione squeezed his hand and his smile returned. Draco looked down at his black socks and watched, remembering each step that he took out of the door, burning it to memory, his steps to freedom.

"I think this is yours," Mr. Weasley said, handing Draco his wand. Draco's smile grew bigger. There was no doubt in his mind any longer. This was no dream. Draco nodded, accepting the wand from Mr. Weasley who was also holding his folded clothes and shoes.

"This way," said the guard. Hermione held Draco's hand tightly, so tightly that it was as if she believed that he would float away if she were to let go. She walked with him, tears of mirth forming in the corners of her eyes.

"How?" Draco asked as they walked along. "How did you-?"

"I'll tell you later," Hermione said with a smile. "After the party."

"The what?" Draco asked.

"Here you are," said the guard, pointing at an old toothbrush on the center of a table in what was obviously the guards' break station. "He wasted a bit of time in there, so you'd best hurry."

"Portkey, Draco. Come on," Mr. Weasley said. He already had one finger on it, Hermione's on the edge leaving just enough room for Draco's finger in the middle.

Draco placed his finger on the brush, but turned his head quickly toward the guard. "Wait. What's your name?"

The guard chuckled, showing Draco his smile for the first time. "Frank."

Draco felt a familiar jerk from behind his navel and sped off to his unknown destination. But he cared not where he was headed. He was now a free man, and wherever he was going, it was with Hermione.

* * *

**This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I really hope you liked it. ^^ **

**My worry now is how to finish it all! Oh no! Out of inspiration... Well, I have two more chapters written after this... then I'm stuck. So cross your fingers that I can pull out at least a half decent ending.**

**Please review. Pretty please? I really want to know what you think.**


	20. Reunited

Draco stumbled forward slightly as his feet touched down in front of the stairs of the Burrow. The portkey deactivated, it began falling to the floor. Draco caught it reflexively and looked up. The entire Weasley family, including Bill and Fleur, were crowded into the kitchen. Above the table was a decorative banner in beautiful script that read 'Congratulations Draco!' and there was a second banner beneath it with crazy colorful paint that read 'He Got Off!' There were streamers and balloons everywhere. Draco blinked in surprise.

"Whooo!"

"All right!"

"Yeah, Draco!" There were several cheers and Draco's mouth twitched into a funny lopsided smile. Never, _never_ had he been thrown a celebration like this. He was celebrated on his birthday, but it was always subdued. He was celebrated for quidditch at school, but even that could not compare. This was unbelievable. The entire day was unbelievable.

"He got off! He got off! He got off! He got off!" Fred and George began the chant, soon joined by Ginny.

"Oh, not this again," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile.

"He got off! He got off! He got off! He got off!" Charlie, Ron, and Harry joined the chant.

Draco looked over at Hermione quizzically.

Hermione's lips were pursed as she tried to contain her laughter. "A recurring chant it seems. They did the same thing when Harry was acquitted by the Wizengamot during his trial."

"Potter went in front of the Wizengamot?" Draco asked, wondering why he'd never heard of it before.

"He got off! He got off! He got off! He got off!"

"Not the time for seriousness, Draco. Time to celebrate," Hermione said, joining the chant herself.

"HE GOT OFF! HE GOT OFF! HE GOT OFF!"

"ENOUGH!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, the room falling into quiet giggles. "We're all very excited for Draco, but we need not wake the entire village."

"There are no houses anywhere near," said Fred.

"Exactly, and the closest ones are still probably able to hear you," Mrs. Weasley admonished. "Now Draco, we thought you might enjoy a celebration and I made you a cake-"

"Or three," said Ron with a smirk.

Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes and Ron looked away. "I made you a cake, dear. But it's really up to you whether you feel up to it now or if you'd prefer to rest."

"I've had enough rest I think," Draco said with a smirk. "A celebration sounds quite nice."

"He got off!" Fred and George shouted together, but before the chant could take off again, Mrs. Weasley smacked both boys upside their heads.

"Hey, Malfoy," George asked. "You gonna keep that toothbrush?"

Draco looked down at the toothbrush in his hand and just snorted in reply.

"Can we have it then?" George continued, Fred looking just as hopeful beside him.

"Uh, yeah," said Draco, looking at them perplexed as he handed it over and took a seat at the table with the rest. The table was too full again so a few chairs lined the kitchen cupboards, facing the group.

"What do you want with a nasty old toothbrush?" Ron asked.

"This isn't just a nasty old toothbrush," Fred said, sounding affronted by the claim. "This is a historical artifact." The table all looked at him skeptically as Mrs. Weasley set the first piece of cake in front of Draco. "This is the very portkey that got Draco Malfoy out of Azkaban after a one of a kind history-making trial!" Fred proclaimed, holding up the toothbrush in high honor.

"It's the perfect addition to our collection," George said, staring at the grimy toothbrush with sparkling eyes. George stiffened when he was hit by an elbow to his ribs by his twin.

"What collection?" Mrs. Weasley asked suspiciously as she placed another piece of cake in front of Hermione.

"What were you going to do with those prison robes?" Fred pressed.

"Burn them if I could figure out how," said Draco. "But if you want them..."

"Yes," said George. "Those are even better than the toothbrush."

"What collection?" Mrs. Weasley repeated, placing cake in front of Harry and Ron while narrowing her eyes at the twins.

The twins shared looks of apprehension. "Our collection of historical artifacts."

"What kind of historical artifacts?" Ginny pressed.

"_Recent_ historical artifacts..." George said.

"Anything else of mine in there?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well..." Fred adjusted his collar uncomfortably. "I don't know if you'd call it yours or Hermione's, but that shirt she was rescued in..."

Hermione's heart thudded in her chest. She hadn't once thought of that shirt since she arrived at Aunt Muriel's. She was a little disturbed that it was kept. "Anything of _mine_?" Hermione asked.

Fred and George sighed together, knowing that their secret collection was now going to be almost completely revealed. "Your tie from first year and a library copy of Hogwarts, A History. You checked it out so often that your name is listed several times in the front."

"You _stole_ a library book from Hogwarts?!" Hermione cried.

"Steal is such a harsh term," said Fred, acting wounded. "We prefer thinking of it as... preserving history."

"And me?" asked Ron.

"Your broken wand from your second year and the blood-stained pants from when Sirius almost ripped your leg off," George said matter-of-factly.

"Go on then," Harry said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew without asking that there had to be several things of his in their collection.

"Now just remember," George started. "These were forgotten or discarded items..."

"Stop stalling," said Ginny.

"His jumper from the night he saved the Philosopher's Stone and defeated Quirrell."

"The fang of the basilisk that you destroyed the diary with."

"A few pieces of your Nimbus 2000."

"The charred piece of paper with your name on it from the Goblet of Fire."

"The golden egg from the Triwizard Tournament."

"A few detention slips from Umbridge."

"A few shards of glass from that shattered prophecy."

"I few snippets of you hair…"

"A pair of grubby old socks…"

"What?" asked Harry. "How on earth is my hair and my old socks considered historical artifacts?"

"Well… _you_ are historical," said George.

"Yeah, and a few snippets of your hair sells for quite an amazing sum," chuckled Fred.

"So that's what this is," said Hermione. "This is stuff that you auction off for money."

"Not _auction_, sell. And we really do plan on keeping most as actual historical artifacts," said Fred.

"Perhaps make a Harry Potter museum," George said with sudden inspiration.

"What else do you have?" Ginny asked.

"Loads of random stuff. Like that toilet seat we tried to give Harry in the hospital wing. One of Umbridge's kitten plates, Dumbledore's bonnet from Christmas, all kinds of things."

"And nothing more of mine?" asked Harry.

"Loads more. Those are just the highlights," said George.

"And I don't know whether it's best considered yours or Snape's, but we paid Colin Creevey to retrieve the Half-Blood Prince's potion book from the room of requirement," said Fred.

"We actually use tips from it too," admitted George. "He really was quite brilliant at potions."

Harry sighed and shook his head, sitting back in his chair. "Just don't ever try the spell 'Sectumsempra'," Harry advised.

"That's the one 'For enemies'?" Fred asked. "Nasty one then?"

"Potter almost killed me with that one," Draco said, lifting his eyebrows at Harry. Harry looked rather uncomfortable and guilty, but Draco just chuckled. Harry then lightened up, seeing that Draco held no grudge about it.

"Yeah, well it was payback for breaking my nose," Harry snorted with amusement.

"Well I recall you hexing me to oblivion on the Hogwarts Express," reminded Draco.

"Well I recall you dressing as a dementor at my quidditch match in order to distract me," Harry said, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows to challenge Draco to one-up that. The table 'Ooo'd as if this was truly a low blow. Injuries were one thing, but jeopardizing a quidditch match was truly offensive.

"Yeah, well," said Draco, seeing he was beat. "If it's any consolation, your patronus scared the shite outta me."

Harry laughed aloud. "It helps."

"Alright, alright," said Mrs. Weasley. "Enough banter. It's already nearing midnight. Everyone to bed. Pip pip."

* * *

Hermione laid awake in bed staring at the ceiling above her. She just couldn't sleep. She was excited, absolutely overjoyed that Draco won the trial. But there was a new feeling inside her now, a depressing feeling of uncertainty. It was a troubling feeling that she just couldn't shake. She knew that she should be feeling happy right now. But she just couldn't.

A creak on the stairs outside the room startled her from her thoughts. Her heart raced in panic and she quickly got out of bed, grabbing her wand. She threw open the door and looked down the stairs.

"Draco?" she asked anxiously.

Draco stopped in the middle of the staircase and looked up at Hermione with an adorable smirk.

"Draco, what are you doing?" she asked in panic.

"Relax. I'm just going to the kitchen to make some tea," Draco whispered.

Hermione closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Draco smiled at her and jerked his head toward the stairs in invitation for her to join him. She smiled in return and silently closed Ginny's door.

Hermione took a seat at the head of the table while Draco grabbed the tea kettle.

"So how is it… _Aguamenti_… that you always catch me sneaking down stairs? _Incendio_," Draco filled the kettle and lit the stove as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Because I'm just as restless as you," Hermione answered.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Draco asked, grabbing a set of mugs from one of the cupboards and setting them on the table. "Still having nightmares then?"

"No… well, yes, but I was just up thinking," Hermione replied.

"About what?" Draco asked, searching through numerous cupboards for the tea.

Hermione shrugged despondently. "Just stuff. _Accio_ Tea." A cupboard on the other side of the room as Draco opened and a container of tea came from it, stopping just in front of Hermione. Draco smirked and made his way back to the table.

"A knut for your thoughts," he said, grabbing the already steaming kettle off or the burner.

"Keep your knut," Hermione smiled. "I'm just thinking about tomorrow… and all the days after."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, sliding a mug of tea in front of her.

"Well," Hermione said, staring into her mug. "Ever since we were rescued I just kept thinking up to your trial date… I guess I just never planned anything after that. It's kind of 'What now?'"

"I know what you mean. That's actually what's been keeping me up as well," admitted Draco.

"And?" Hermione prompted.

"No, no. You first," Draco insisted.

Hermione looked playfully annoyed. "I really don't know. I mean, we're all adults now. School is over. So… so I guess it's time to start thinking about a career. But that just seems so strange. But then, the whole world seems foreign now."

"I know you overheard Bill and Charlie talking about Hogwarts accepting students that missed their seventh year. You could go back if you wanted," Draco reminded.

"I don't know… it'd feel too strange I think. It just feels like that part of my life is done. After what we faced this year, Hogwarts just feels like childhood… something you can't return to," Hermione said sadly. "What about you? Are you thinking of going back?"

Draco laughed out loud. "No. No, definitely not. My last year there was the second worst year of my life, topped only by this last year. If I were to go back, it would just be disastrous for all involved," Draco assured. "But you though, don't you need your N.E.W.T.'s?"

"Well, the school is also offering to those who didn't complete their seventh year, a chance to take their N.E.W.T.'s without returning if they wish. The test will be offered just before school starts up again, so I'll probably be doing some studying this summer," Hermione explained.

"And once you get your N.E.W.T.'s? What then?" Draco asked. "What kind of career are you looking at?"

"Well… I've been thinking recently about possibly becoming a healer. But for years I've thought of working for the Ministry of Magic, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Hermione declared.

"Ah, the house elves project," said Draco. Hermione looked at him in surprise. "Harry and Ron thought it wise to inform me of your ambitions for house elves after my comment during cooking collaboration."

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Hermione asked, rather wounded by the way he said it.

"No, not at all," he admitted honestly. "Do I understand your conviction? I'm trying. It's rather hard for me to because I was raised with house elves at my beckon call, but I do see how you're concerned for their welfare. We never really treated them as well as we should have. I think it's a noble effort to institute at least some laws against their mistreatment. That is why you're thinking of joining that department, right?"

Hermione felt ready to cry then and there, but just took a deep breath. No one, no one at all, had ever given her thoughts on the treatment of house elves seriously. He certainly didn't sound as though he shared her beliefs that they were enslaved, but he was trying to take her seriously. "That's part of it," she admitted. "I do want to be part of the Beings Division. But I also want to be there for Werewolf Support Services. After seeing the way Lupin struggled through life… Changes need to be made and there just aren't that many people out there that care about the rights of other beings. Wizard supremacy is as big a problem as pure-blood supremacy, possibly more."

"So what part of the future don't you have planned again?" Draco asked playfully.

_Us._ Hermione swallowed hard at the thought. She wanted to know what his plans were. They never declared anything about their relationship and she was worried that he might want to take a path that led him away from her.

"You certainly seem to know where your calling lies," Draco continued with a smile.

"And what about you?" Hermione asked. "Are you going to take yours N.E.W.T.'s?"

"No. No need to, really. It seems that you've already forgotten that I have two jobs. I own the Harpies and Brownquist. Not seriously hands on jobs yet, but I plan to make them so. I want to be involved and not just stand in the background like my father. I'm really very interested in the Potion Development Teams at Brownquist. They're absolutely fascinating. They could really use the talents of Fred and George, but it'd be a waste of breath to even ask," Draco mused.

"I _had_ forgot about that, actually," Hermione said. "And you're right, Fred and George won't leave that shop until the day they die. But I do think that they'd be interested in a little quid-pro-quo. They'd help out every now and then for the right incentive. They're not ashamed to be bought."

Draco smiled at the thought. At first he was terrified of being thrown into positions of power, but he was becoming more and more comfortable with it. He was raised to be a powerful leader and was pleasantly surprised to find out that he shouldered it well.

"So what else are you worried about? Obviously it wasn't about your career as it seems you've had that planned for years," Draco pushed.

Hermione looked down. Her anxiety had disappeared for a few minutes as they discussed their career plans, but it returned now full force. _Us. I'm worried about us. Where and how do we fit together in all of this? _She wanted to say it. She wanted to ask but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. They had been there for each other on a very different level. They were there to support one another, there to heal one another through this mess. But the mess was nearly clean, the wounds were healing. They were changing just as they knew they would. Now, this very day, they both changed more then they knew. With such drastic changes in themselves and the world around them, did they still fit together the same way? No. Hermione thought to herself. It will never be the same now. It already feels different. If it didn't I wouldn't be asking myself about this. So where do we stand?

"Hermione…?" Draco started in question.

"Yes?" Hermione replied. _Ask about us. Tell me about us._

"I know it's uncomfortable to talk about… but when are you thinking of bringing your parents home?" Draco asked.

Hermione was disappointed that he chose a topic other than the one she was hoping for, but then she suddenly became quite cross. Draco was taken aback by her sudden anger. It was certainly not the emotion he was expecting from her.

"Speaking of my parents," Hermione said with a bite in her tone. "What's this about you clandestinely forcing your money on me?"

"What?" said Draco, honestly unsure about what she was referring to.

"Are you trying to deny that you gave Harry and Ron 100,000 galleons to take care of me and bring my parents home?" Hermione said, placing a hand on her hip.

Draco placed one hand over his eyes and pulled it down as if trying to rub the skin from his face. "They weren't supposed to tell you about that."

"They didn't. I overheard them after we won the trial. But you think that it somehow makes it okay as long as I didn't know?" Hermione challenged.

"No. I think it's okay even if you do know. I only had to keep it secret because I knew you'd protest if you knew," Draco defended. "You act as if it's dirty, as if it's a crime. I did it to help you."

"It does feel dirty taking money that way. But I don't need your money either way you try to give it," Hermione protested.

"I never said you needed _my_ money. But you know that it's the truth that you do need money," Draco insisted. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, but for some reason, you're just to proud to admit it."

"I told you, I don't accept charity," Hermione said heatedly.

"It's not like I went begging for the money off the street. And what's so wrong with accepting charity anyway? You thought it was great that I was charitable to the people who suffered from the war, to the hospital, to the family's who were in debt to my father. So you think it's fine to give charity, but not to receive. There'd be no giving without someone to receive it," Draco argued.

Hermione felt angry. She was never one to lose an argument, but it was hard to argue when he what he was saying was right. He made good points but she didn't want to hear them.

"I don't want your money," she said firmly. "And it's not fair that you try to thrust it on me without my permission."

"You know… I remember saying that same exact thing a couple days ago about my father's money," Draco said with a cocky smile. "And as I recall, it was you that told me that it was only money. It's not what you have that makes you who you are, but what you do." Draco paused to see her reaction. She looked salty and brooding and it became very obvious to Draco that she wasn't used to losing arguments. "So I've taken your advice. And so should you."

"Me?" Hermione asked, not quite understanding what he meant.

"It doesn't just mean what you have, but also what you don't have. So you don't have a lot of money right now, that doesn't make you any less of a person. So why are you too prideful to admit that you do need help?" Draco asked, trying to catch her eye as her gaze had fallen away. "I'm not trying to hold my money over your head or make you feel like any less of a person by offering you this. I'm offering it as a friend because you have a need and I have the means," Draco explained. "You offered your help to me in court to defend me. You did everything you could to help me. Why won't you let me help you also?"

"I offered a few words and a couple hours of research, not a mountain of gold," Hermione protested.

"And those efforts gave me seven years of freedom that I otherwise would have lost. I think that's worth much more than a few galleons," Draco retorted. "And as you said, 'It's only money'. Drop your pride and see it for what it really is: a friend trying to help a friend."

Hermione sighed deeply, her heart sinking. _Friend? Just a friend? _"You're right… I am just being prideful. I should really be thanking you."

"I don't want that either," said Draco, reaching out and touching her hand gently.

"I said _should_," Hermione said. Draco pulled his hand back, worried that this argument wasn't yet finished. "100,000 galleons is still more than 90,000 galleons too much."

"That was when I was going to be gone for seven years," Draco reminded. "I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of if I couldn't be here. If I just assist you in making sure you get what you need and help bring your parents home, will you accept it?"

Hermione took another deep breath and nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you," Draco said seriously. "You really are quite a challenge, you know that?"

"So are you," Hermione retorted.

"I know. But please tell me that we're not going to have to argue like this each time I want to do something nice for you," Draco pleaded. "It's exhausting. And I still firmly believe that it is a man's right to dote on his girl whenever he likes. So I'd really like it if you could just come to accept that your boyfriend is a billionaire and that the gifts I like to get you are a little more extravagant than just flowers and chocolates."

"My boyfriend? Is that what you think you are?" Hermione teased. Though she acted playfully towards the declaration she was dying to hear, her heart had soared.

Draco didn't bat a lash at her taunting but moved closer to her, a smug look on his face. "If I wasn't," he said, placing a kiss next to her ear. "Then this…" Draco placed another kiss further down her jaw. "might start…" He placed another kiss further down her jaw causing her to break out in goosebumps. "to become…" Draco placed another delicate kiss just beside her lips. "…awkward."

Hermione closed her eyes and drew in a shaky breath, internally begging for his lips to find hers. Draco's lips very lightly brushed past hers, leaving her begging for them even more. Just as she was about to open her eyes and seek him out, his lips finally pressed against hers. Hermione's fingers wove into his silky blond hair as she returned his kiss with passion. She was right. They had changed and things weren't the same as they were before. This relationship that they had now had a name and it was somehow much deeper and more comfortable than it had been. He declared her as his 'girl' and him as her boyfriend.

Draco slowly pulled out of the kiss and stared into her beautiful shining brown eyes. He could see her love and her joy pouring out of them. He looked at her pensively, understanding coming to him at last.

"This is why you couldn't sleep," he said. "You were worried what the future held for us…"

Hermione averted her eyes sheepishly. "We've changed. Things have changed. We never really knew what our relationship was… so can you really blame me?"

"It was _you_ that had to reassure _me_ that no matter how the world or we ourselves change that we'd do it together," Draco reminded.

"But that didn't mean that it'd be like this," Hermione replied. "I know that you love me, but there are a lot of different kinds of love. I love my parents. I love the Weasleys. I love Harry and Ron. And then I love you. I know that you love me, but I was worried that you might not love me the same as I love you…" she admitted, still sheepishly avoiding his eyes.

"Hermione," Draco said seriously. "I've never been very good at expressing myself. But if you've had any doubts about how I feel about you, then I'll quell your fears right now. I love you. I care about you in a way that I didn't even know existed. Every minute I'm awake I think about you. I even stay up at night worrying about you, worrying if you're scared or lonely. I don't understand it. I don't know how it happened or where it came from, it's a bit unnerving even, but you're everything to me now..."

"I know exactly what you mean," Hermione replied. She'd always been a very independent person, but now she couldn't do anything without thinking about what Draco would think or feel about it. It was a little unnerving, but at the same time, she never felt so strong.

"Do you?" Draco asked anxiously. It was something he didn't understand but was dying to. Hermione was the brightest witch he knew, of course she would know why his feelings for her were so overwhelming. He really truly wondered what it was that caused it. He'd cared for people before, but never like this. She was good to him, but so were the Weasleys. But Hermione was there for him on another level. She understood him so well without ever needing to say anything. She cared for him unlike anyone else ever had. That had to be it.

"I feel the same way," she replied. "I've never known anything like this either... which is why I was so worried that you might not feel the same."

"But you know me. You know me better than anyone. You know that I love you... I think you weren't confident enough to believe that you're worth loving like that," Draco stated. Hermione's eyes widened, unable to believe that he had just come out and said it so openly. But he was right...

"The same goes for you too," Hermione said with a small smile.

Draco looked down with a small smile. She was right too.

"No more," she said. "No more doubting."

"No more," Draco agreed. "But now that we're both feeling better, why don't we go upstairs and both try to get a little sleep. I have a little business to take care of in the morning."

"More secret business?" Hermione asked, her body drooping with disappointment.

Draco looked at her with a warm lopsided smile. He found it incredibly adorable how she wanted to be with him. "I'll be gone only about an hour. I'll be back before you have the chance to miss me and then I promise to reveal my 'secret business.' I can't wait to actually."

Hermione looked at him curiously but excitedly. It was obvious that he was excited about this surprise and she couldn't wait to know what it was.

"Now, bed," Draco stood up and took her hand, leading her up the stairs. He gave her a small quick kiss on the cheek before leaving her outside of Ginny's room. He too felt glad that their relationship was now well defined and that he knew his feelings were reciprocated. Maybe now he could finally sleep.

* * *

**Well, this chapter was a big change from the last, but I hope you liked it.**

**Speaking of the last chapter, thank you so much for your wonderful comments. I know Draco wasn't in Azkaban for long but I just couldn't let him suffer longer than he had to. I put him through enough in the last story and I still feel bad for him. Plus with the bad publicity the Wizengamot were getting from Hermione and the Weasleys' public statements, I'd think they'd want to get the trial done and over with.**

**Thank you to all of you who crossed your fingers for my inspiration. It came! I finally realized why I was having such a time with it. I was trying too hard, making it more complex than it had to be and it just didn't feel right. But I've found an ending I can be happy with. So, happy times. This story won't be forced or unfinished. Yay! The sad part being that there are only a few chapters left. I also feel so sad when I get done writing a fic. More will come though I'm sure.**

**I'll stop babbling now.**

**Please Review! Please?**


	21. Unveiled

Hermione set a plate of sausage and bacon at the table and took a seat at her usual place.

"Any second now…" Mrs. Weasley said.

"'Morning Mum, Hermione," Charlie said as he entered the kitchen giving his mum a kiss on the cheek and taking a place at the table. Mrs. Weasley looked over her shoulder at Hermione and smiled. Hermione returned her smile with a small chuckle. Mrs. Weasley had just been explaining how everyone naturally woke up at the same time and how it all had to do with breakfast. Somehow all of the Weasley children seemed to show up at the table only minutes after the breakfast platters hit the table. Charlie always seemed to be the most eager since he returned from Romania. It seemed he missed being served breakfast as soon as he woke.

"Morning Mum, Hermione, Charlie," the twins greeted in unison, both placing kisses on their mother's cheeks and taking their seats. Hermione laughed again.

"What?" asked Charlie, taking a bite of his bacon.

"Nothing," Hermione smiled.

"Morning Mum," said Ron as he and Harry also entered the kitchen.

"Morning Mrs…Molly," Harry greeted. Harry took his seat immediately while Ron gave his mother a kiss.

"So where's Draco?" Ron asked, wasting no time in piling some eggs onto his plate.

"He wasn't in bed?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No," said Harry with concern. "We just figured he came down before us. You haven't seen him?"

Mrs. Weasley also looked concerned but Hermione just smiled. "He must have left early then. He said he had business to take care of."

"Again?" Ron asked. "Quite the business tycoon, isn't he?"

"Did he at least say where he was going this time?" Charlie asked, still a little irritated by the concern he created last time and all the time he personally wasted in waiting outside Gringotts for him.

"No," said Hermione. "But he said he wouldn't be gone for long."

"More secret business?" Harry mused. "Wonder what he's up to this time."

"Well, he said he'd…" Hermione started.

"Well, he made front page again," Charlie said, looking at the newspaper that Mrs. Weasley just placed in front of Hermione.

"What does it say?" asked Harry.

"It's about his trial," said Charlie.

"That's a given," said George. "Is it what Hermione told them, or their own spin on the tale?"

"I don't know," Charlie said as he scanned it quickly. "It looks like it's held true to Hermione's version of things. It also mentions Kingsley in here."

"What about Kingsley?" asked Harry, concerned for the Minister's public image after their conversation and all that Kingsley did to push for a fair trial. Everyone waited anxiously as Charlie read.

"They commend him for his stand," said Charlie. "Says that they proud to have a Minister so adamant to get results and his commitment to see that justice does not discriminate."

"Well it's good for both of them then," said Mrs. Weasley. "They both deserve to be portrayed fairly."

"Well, speak of the dragon," Fred interrupted as Draco walked through the front door. He looked stunned that everyone was looking at him and had a feeling that they had just been discussing him.

"Um, Good morning," he greeted, walking over to the table.

"Seems you made the paper again," said Harry.

"Yeah, I saw," said Draco miserably, holding up his own copy of the Daily Prophet. "And I'm likely to again tomorrow… just hopefully not the front page."

"Welcome to my world," said Harry. "But what will we be reading about tomorrow? Or do we have to wait to see the paper again?"

"I informed the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that my father was being blackmailed and that a few of them were now trying to blackmail me. I'm not putting up with that like my father. I have nothing to hide," Draco said. "But I was told that this was just what the department needed. They've been trying to get dirt on a couple of them so this gives them what they need to perform a raid. So I'm sure that if the paper hears that I turned them in, I'll be mentioned. If not, it's still rather likely that one of the blackmailers decides to try and drag either my father's name or mine through the dirt."

"Sorry," said Harry, truly understanding the position Draco was in.

"It's whatever. I don't have anything to hide so people can say what they want. They're going to anyway," said Draco.

"So that's what your secret business was today?" Hermione asked.

A wide grin spread across Draco's face. "Not the secret you're referring to."

"So?" Hermione prompted.

"Sorry, but it will have to wait until after breakfast," Draco said. He could tell that Hermione was very excited and he was enjoying making her wait. "It's something to show more than tell."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"Draco said he was doing something this morning and that it was a secret, but when he was done he would reveal it," Hermione explained. "And he's got me very curious because he seems so excited about it."

"I am. So we best get through breakfast," Draco said, casually piling food onto his plate. Hermione smiled at him. It felt really good to see that he was feeling a lot more comfortable around the Weasleys.

"So Hermione," said Ron. "You given it anymore thought?"

"Well, yeah… I don't know… I just don't think it's for me," Hermione answered.

"Oh, c'mon, you'd be brilliant," Ron pressed. "We'd be the 'Golden Trio' forevermore."

"I'm sorry… you two can still make a 'Daring Duo' though," Hermione offered.

"Not the same. What's holding you back?" Ron continued though anyone could see that Hermione's mind was set.

"What are we discussing?" Draco asked, feeling that he was the only one there that didn't understand.

"They're talking about the job offer that Hermione got," Ginny said as she walked into the kitchen. "Morning Mum."

"Job offer?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," said George. "The 'Golden Trio' here all got offered positions as Aurors,"

"But they haven't taken their N.E.W.T.'s…" said Draco, wondering if George was pulling his leg.

"Obviously they think that taking down one of the darkest wizards of all time was a good head start in field training," Fred said.

Draco was still wondering if they were having him on until he saw the look on Hermione's face. "Yeah, and that 'field training' was enough to show me that it's not really something I'd like to make a career out of. I'll leave that to Ron and Harry."

"So any idea what you'd like to do then, Hermione?" Charlie asked.

"I've decided last night actually," Hermione said with a proud smile. "I'm going to take my N.E.W.T.'s when they're offered and I'm going to try for a position in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures… Beings Division."

"So you're not going back for your seventh year?" Ginny asked, sounding a little disappointed. As soon as she knew the option was being offered, she was almost certain Hermione would be joining her at school.

"No, I really don't think it'd feel right anymore," Hermione admitted. "It feels rather strange not to though also. I think I might take a year before getting a job though... things to do." Hermione didn't need to mention her parents for all to know that it was what she was referring to.

"What about you, Ginny?" Draco asked. "What kind of career are you looking for after school?"

"Oh, well… I'm not really sure," she said, looking up anxiously. "I mean, I was thinking maybe a place in the ministry... I'm still not sure."

Draco looked around at the others and then up at Mrs. Weasley. A loud noise from the living room startled them.

"Oh that darned wireless…" Mrs. Weasley grumbled, going into the living room to try and turn it off.

"Okay," said Draco, grinning mischievously. "Now what do you _really_ want to do?"

The table looked at Draco in shock as they realized what he'd done. Ginny was surprised that Draco had picked up that she wasn't being honest because of her mother, and even more that he would make a distraction just so he could hear her response.

"Well… I love quidditch. I've always dreamt of becoming a professional player, but that's just kind of a pipe dream, so I've been thinking about the Daily Prophet sports reporter or an event coordinator of some kind. I don't know. McGonagall is trying to help me find something that I might like, but I really can't tell Mum yet. It's really not the path she'd want me to take."

"I thought you'd say that," said Draco. He heard the music stop and Mrs. Weasley's footsteps approaching so he flicked his wand again.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley fumed. "What is wrong with this infernal thing?"

Everyone was now looking at Draco in question.

"Well… I guess I'll just come out and say it. But this is still very hushed so I'm hoping you all know how to keep secrets?" Draco asked. All of the others looked at Fred and George.

"Oh, come on," Fred said, seriously insulted. "We're the kings of secrets. We've got more than anyone."

Draco nodded. "Well, a few months ago Gwenog Jones informed the team manager that this upcoming year will be her last."

"What?!" said Charlie.

"Well, you can't be that surprised. She's just turned 30," said Draco. "She's been team captain for awhile now. But anyway, they're going to be looking for fresh talent to take her place. I know you played chaser at school, but you seem talented all around. I can't guarantee you a place on the team, but if you want, I can promise you a tryout."

Everyone but Hermione sat gaping at him. "Malfoy, if this is a joke..." Ginny started threateningly.

Draco chuckled. "No joke. You're a very talented flier, fast and observant, and are really good at analyzing teams and strategizing. I think you'd make a really good beater."

"Ugh," Fred scoffed in envy. "I want a tryout."

"Sorry, Fred," Draco said in amusement. "but the Harpies only accept females."

"Y-you're really serious?" Ginny asked.

"Quidditch isn't something to joke about," said Draco. "Again, the only thing I can promise is a tryout."

"Oh, I could kiss you," Ginny said, so excited that it was all she could do just to keep from jumping and hollering. Harry looked a little flustered by Ginny's last statement but kept his mouth shut.

"Even if you don't make the team though, keep you career in that area. Don't let your mum talk you out of it," Draco encouraged.

"Don't let me talk her out of what?" Mrs. Weasley asked, entering the room with her hands on her hips.

Draco wanted to kick himself. He should have been more careful. Ginny looked at him imploringly. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Weasley. I really shouldn't have put it like that," Draco replied, looking sincerely sorry. "I just have to go watch the Holyhead Harpies' practice next week and I was trying to talk Ginny into coming with me. She was only afraid that you'd be upset if she asked because she'd have to leave Sunday brunch early," Draco lied convincingly. "I really shouldn't have tried to talk her into it though. I was just excited. I'm sorry."

"Oh," said Mrs. Weasley, surprised of the innocence behind a statement that she was certain was going to upset her. "Well… if you really want to go, Ginny dear… I guess that's fine. It is only one day and I know how much that team means to you. That's very kind of you, Draco."

"Thanks, Mum," Ginny said uncertainly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Draco said with a smile. "Are you finished, Hermione? Or are you still eating?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm finished. Just let me go get dressed," Hermione said.

Draco glanced out the window as Hermione disappeared upstairs. "Oh, Mrs. Weasley," Draco said, returning his attention to her once more. "Have you, by chance, seen my blue jumper?"

"Oh yes, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "I washed it just this morning actually. It's out on the line," she said, pointing to the clothes line out the window. "I'll just go grab it for you."

Mrs. Weasley bustled outside and Draco grimaced. "I really hate doing that to her…" Draco said sincerely.

"You're good at it," said George, thoroughly impressed.

"I've only ever seen Ginny fool her like that," said Charlie.

"Usually I'd be proud, but I actually feel rather bad about it…" admitted Draco. "But anyway, I can't waste time. I said the first thing that came to mind when I covered for us, but I really am going to their practice on Sunday so you're welcome to tag along. Or feel free to make up your own excuse."

"Oh, I'm going," said Ginny enthusiastically.

"Here you are Draco," Mrs. Weasley said with a wide smile. Her smile actually made him feel rather bad. He was a good liar and lying as a distraction or a cover never bothered him before, but it felt different lying and fooling Mrs. Weasley. He decided then that he really didn't want to do it anymore.

"All set," said Hermione. "So where are we going?"

"It would ruin it if I told," replied Draco. "Just grab hold of my arm and close your eyes. And I know it's hard, but try to keep your eyes closed when we touch down."

Hermione nodded and grabbed hold of Draco's arm, squeezing her eyes shut, biting her lip in anticipation. Hermione felt as though she were stretched as though made of rubber and forced through a long thin winding tube, stopping so suddenly that it made her feel ill. She had done side-along apparation several times but it still made her feel sick each time. She jerked to a stop and stumbled forward with her eyes closed, caught around the wait by Draco.

"You didn't peek, did you?" Draco asked.

"No, but can I open them?" Hermione asked. She could tell by the air around her that she was inside somewhere but she didn't hear anything but the two of them. She could feel that there was a fire to the side of her and was becoming increasingly curious.

"Yes, open them," Draco urged.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked around the large living room of a rather grand colonial home.

She stood beside a tall stone fireplace, the walls a lovely orangish-bown sandstone color with white trim. Several high windows lined a curved wall behind her. The entire room was filled with warm reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. It reminded her alot of autumn which happened to be her favorite season. The furniture was rather modern compared to those in most wizard homes. It looked more like the home of a wealthy muggle. It felt rather comfortable and homey.

"Um... where are we?" Hermione asked.

"My new home," Draco said with a proud grin, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"W-what?!" Hermione asked her eyes popping.

"I bought a house, _this_ house," Draco replied.

"What? When? I..." Hermione looked around the room again, paying more attention to detail. There was a large plant in the corner and a vase of flowers on a side table. Hermione's eyes widened further as she looked at the baby grand piano in the corner. There was Draco's copy of Brothers Grimm on the coffee table along with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. It looked very 'lived in' already.

"I bought it on Monday, of course," Draco said with a small smile, enjoying her surprise.

"With all you did on Monday you somehow managed to find time to go out and buy a house?" Hermione said incredulously.

"Well, I didn't really 'go out' and buy it. I had the real estate agent meet me at Gringotts. I knew where I wanted to live and the basic style I wanted so she brought photographs and this was exactly what I was looking for," Draco explained. "Perfect neighborhood too. I didn't really have a neighborhood before..."

"Wait. Wait. So you bought a house that you'd never even seen?" Hermione said with greater disbelief.

"Well, like I said, I saw pictures. I mean, it didn't come furnished, but I just sent an owl to the designer that did my room a few years ago. She knows the style I like and I told her I wanted it a little more modern and comfortable. I think she did pretty good..." Draco said, nodding approvingly as he looked around.

"So you didn't actually see the house or the furniture until this morning?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," said Draco, starting to get a little irked. She was making him feel as though he were foolish for something he was rather proud of. "But can we get past how I purchased it?"

"Sorry..."

"So?" he asked excitedly. "What do you think?"

Hermione looked around the living room again and over at Draco. She smiled softly. She'd never seen him look so proud and excited about anything. The look on his face reminded her of when she was small and handed her mother a picture she drew, waiting with bated breath to see if her mother thought it was nice enough to display on the refrigerator. Though proud and excited, he looked anxious and desperate for her approval.

"It looks incredible," Hermione said. "It really has a warm comfortable feel to it. It's great."

"Really?" Draco said with a great smile. His smile was so wide that she couldn't help but smile also. She had never imagined him looking that way, especially when they were back in school together. "Come on, let me give you a tour."

Draco excitedly took her by the hand and led her through one of the two archways in the room, this one leading into a large kitchen. It had long cream-colored counters that met in an 'L' in the corner and a large island counter in the center of the room with stools lining one side, each counter topped in blue marble. Hermione was surprised to see that the kitchen cabinets already had dishes in them. A tea kettle set on the stovetop. The walls were a medium dark blue. Draco pulled her further into the room, quickly showing her the breakfast nook before pulling her through another archway to the elegant dining room.

"I know it's a big table for me, but I figure I'll be mostly eating in the kitchen. It's for when I have company over. Come on," Draco said. Hermione giggled as she practically had to jog to keep up. This had to be one of the fastest home tours ever.

After the dining room, Draco pulled her through the foyer, not even giving her a chance to look at it as he took her down another hall, showing her the study, a bathroom, a guest room, empty room that he wasn't sure what to do with yet, and the laundry room. They then returned to the foyer where a curved carpeted staircase led to the first storey.

"Here's the linen closet," Draco said, opening the door to the right of the top of the stairs. Hermione smiled again when she saw that the closet was full of towels and spare bed sheets already. "Next, the bathroom."

Draco opened the door to a very large bathroom with cream-colored marble, a shower with glass doors and an enormous bath with several taps. Her next took her across the hall to a guest room decorated in blue.

"And the third guestroom here," he said, opening the door on the left at the end of the hall. This room was done in purple with lavender walls. A large oak four-poster was angled in the corner of the room, with sheer purple fabric draped around the top. There was a bookcase in the corner flanked by two comfy floral chairs. There was a chest of drawers and a wardrobe that matched the bed. A large board of paper flowers behind glass taking up much of one wall and a vase of lilacs on the bedside stand.

"And my room," Draco said, showing her to the room across the hall. Hermione's eyes widened as it was not at all what she'd expected. His room at Malfoy Manor was very traditional and done in dark colors and this was so… not. His room had an extreme asian theme. The walls were bright white painted with large grey shadows of asian style trees. His dressers and wardrobe were a straight and shiny black. His large black bed also had an asian feel to it with a dark olive duvet, white sheets and black and white throw pillows. Above the bed was a big painting of an asian dragon. Accents of green could be found among the simple portraits and bamboo in a vase in the corner.

"You don't like it…" Draco said sounding disappointed.

"No. No, I love it actually," said Hermione, looking it over again. "I'm just surprised. I didn't imagine you liking this style."

"Why not?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well… your old room was very dark and traditional. And it's definitely not Hogwarts style. It feels kind of…"

"Muggle?" Draco offered.

"Yeah," Hermione said, looking at him curiously.

"Well, that's kind of what I was going for throughout the house," Draco admitted. "I wanted something really different from the manor. I wanted something more comfortable and modern. And you told me the other day that Wizard style is usually a few decades behind muggles, so I thought I might like to go with that. And I've always rather liked asian style decorations. I know it's probably weird, but I've always been proud of my namesake being the dragon. Who better celebrates the dragon than the Chinese and Japanese? Do you really like it?"

"I do," Hermione smiled.

Draco led her back into the hallway and stopped. "So? What do you think?"

"It's incredible. You picked a very beautiful house, and obviously an amazing designer as well. It's really great," said Hermione.

"But?" Draco asked, a slight crease in his brow.

"But nothing. It's really, really incredible. I'm really happy for you," Hermione said earnestly.

"But something's wrong… Something's bothering you," Draco accused, feeling a little worried.

"It's nothing," Hermione assured.

"Don't lie to me," Draco said, a little upset. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm not lying… It's just nothing important. I'm just being silly," Hermione insisted.

"No. You're not silly. Tell me what's wrong," Draco said firmly, straightening up as he always did when he felt ill at ease or vulnerable.

"Really it's nothing… It's just… I don't know. I knew we weren't going to be staying with the Weasleys forever, but I didn't expect you to leave so soon. I'm going to miss you," Hermione said remorsefully.

"Leave? Miss Me?" Draco asked. "You act like I'm fleeing the country. Usually when a guy buys a house it's a sign that he's going to be sticking around for awhile."

"I know," Hermione said bashfully. "I'm just going to miss being around you all the time."

"Just because I bought a house doesn't mean we're not going to be around each other all the time. You're welcome here anytime you want. Anytime. And I'm actually kind of hoping that Mrs. Weasley won't mind still having me for meals, at least until I learn to cook a little," Draco said seriously.

Hermione gave him a warm smile but Draco could still see the pain beneath it.

"_Anytime_," he said again. "In fact… I had that guest room designed just for you." Draco nodded to the purple guest room behind her. Draco's heart started to pound and his insides were swimming with anxiety. "I mean, I know you probably want to stay with the Weasleys but if ever you want to stay here…" Draco looked at the purple room he had made for her then glanced at his own room for just a quick second. As soon as he did he kicked himself, hoping that Hermione didn't see it.

"Draco… Are-are you asking me to stay here?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Well-you-I-um… Like I said, I know you probably want to stay with the Weasleys. But if you ever get tired of fighting for the bathroom or-"

"It was a yes or no question…" Hermione said softly, her own heart beginning to race nervously.

"Well," Draco looked down to his side. He was finding it harder to breath. He was trying to decide why this was so hard for him. He'd never been afraid to ask a question before. But it had always been hard for him to express himself. He hated nothing more than to feel vulnerable and he wasn't sure he ever felt as vulnerable as he did now. He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. "Yeah… _yes_, I guess I am…… Would you like to live here with me?" He stared at her, waiting with bated breath. He had just asked the girl he only started to like a month ago, the girl he just officially started dating a few hours ago, to move in with him.

Hermione wore a small sheepish grin and stepped up close to him, her heart still pounding. She looked up into his bluish-grey eyes and nodded. Draco finally let out his breath and a sheepish smile tugged at his lips as well. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied, nodding again as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"And your room… is it okay?" Draco asked.

"It's great. It's all great. I told you that," Hermione said, still blushing furiously.

"Yeah, but you said that when you thought it was just going to be me living here," Draco said.

"Really, I really do love it," Hermione replied earnestly.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, becoming nervous again.

"There's not something wrong every time I stop and think," Hermione chuckled. "I'm just trying to figure out the best way to tell Ron and Harry."

"Privately?" Draco suggested.

Hermione laughed out loud. "Coward," she teased.

"Well it was a joke, but you know them better than me. Would it be better if I'm there or not?" Draco asked.

"It will be fine. They won't hurt you, but they might be cross for awhile. They do that a lot with me," Hermione replied.

"Get protective?" Draco asked.

"No, get angry. They tend to think on the same wavelength and when it doesn't match mine they call me extreme and accuse me of either being rash and impulsive or overly-cautious depending on the situation," Hermione explained.

"This wouldn't be the overly-cautious one, would it?" Draco chortled.

"They'll definitely call this 'crazy' and 'rash'," Hermione assured. "They think that I've lost it. They'll add this to a list of how irresponsible and unhinged I've been. They may have come to agree with me that you're not a bad guy, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten the arguing we've done and because I knew you were a good guy before they did it still counts against me as irresponsible."

"Wow, you really know them well," Draco said.

"I've had to put up with their stubbornness for seven years. After being shunned for having Harry's firebolt examined in third year, I kind of learned how to tread and when to pick my battles," Hermione chuckled. "And I think that they have finally learned when to back off."

"So when do you want to tell them?" Draco asked.

"When are we moving in?" Hermione asked, blushing again.

"I-I already have…" Draco answered. "I brought my things over this morning."

"Well… then let's tell them now," Hermione said with a shy smile.

"Oh, uh… I was kind of hoping to invite the Weasleys over for dinner to show them my… _our_ house. Do you think that would be wise, or best to give them time?" Draco asked.

"Tonight would be fine," Hermione said. "But what did you have in mind for dinner?"

"Well, my next question was going to be if you wanted to help me test out our new kitchen? And if not tonight, then I'll just order some dinner," Draco said.

"I'd love to cook with you," Hermione smiled.

"Okay… Let's go then," Draco said, the nervous feeling building inside once more. What would the Weasleys say? He could believe she said yes...

* * *

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**Please review.** **It means so much to me.**


	22. Approved

"Oh my, You two are back earlier than I thought you'd be," Mrs. Weasley said as Draco and Hermione walked through the front door of the Burrow. "Everything alright?" she asked at the nervous looks on their faces.

"Um, yeah," said Hermione.

"So what were you two doing?" she asked curiously.

"Well, Draco had a surprise to show me," Hermione said. Her blush had yet to subside.

"Yes?" Mrs. Weasley with interest.

"Um, yeah. He thought he might announce it... How do you call everyone for something like that? Or should we just wait for lunch?" Hermione asked. It wasn't often that she knew of announcements being given except at mealtimes but it always felt awkward to her to give announcements.

"Oh, announcements don't have to wait for meals," Mrs. Weasley said, putting her knitting down and getting out of her chair. "Everyone downstairs now!" Mrs. Weasley shouted up the staircase. Draco winced. He still wasn't used to the woman's bellowing. And though she said they could make their announcement now, it made him feel alot more anxious doing it this way. But he knew that the anxiety would kill him if he had to wait until lunch too.

There was a loud thundering sound as a stampede of people raced down the stairs. Ginny was first as always, probably because her room was closest to the ground floor. Fred and George followed quickly behind. George looked as though he were interrupted in the middle of changing as his work robe was only halfway on, pulled on one arm and over his head, one arm still free causing the hem to slant from his shoulder to his waist, showing his boxer shorts to all in view.

"What's wrong? What happened?" George asked, pulling his robe the rest of the way on.

"Nothing," said Mrs. Weasley. "Just calling a family meeting."

"Oh," said Harry. "I'll just..." Harry poked his thumb over his shoulder to show that he was going to retreat upstairs.

"Everyone in this house is considered part of the family," said Mrs. Weasley. "And Draco just has an announcement to make."

Everyone looked at Draco and he had the insane urge to flee. He wasn't afraid to tell them that he bought a house, but he was terrified of what they'd think or do about Hermione moving in with him.

Draco cleared his throat. "Um... Well, I'm not sure it's really announcement worthy even... but I bought a house."

"What?" said Ron, he and the other's faces frozen in shock.

"Um, yeah. That's the last piece of secret business I had on Monday. I bought a house. It's already furnished even," he said. Though he felt extremely nervous and unsure of himself, he looked stiff, sure, and confident.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Ginny asked with a smile.

"Well... to be honest. I didn't want anyone to know incase I was going to be in Azkaban. I was hoping I'd get off and be able to move in, but if I was going to be in Azkaban for awhile, I also needed a place to go to when I got out," Draco explained.

"Where is it?" Charlie asked, looking happy and proud of the blond boy. Hermione looked at Draco curiously. She had never thought to ask where it was located. She never saw the outside of the house.

"A new wizard development outside of London. It's called Dumbledore Gardens," Draco announced.

"Wow, that really is new," said Charlie. "Last I heard they were still building it."

"They still are," said Draco. "But most of the houses are constructed now. I'm still only the second to move in though."

"You're moving in now?" Fred asked.

"I already did actually..." Draco said nervously. He wanted to keep talking so that Hermione didn't have to announce her part yet.

"That's really great, Draco," said Mr. Weasley. "But I want to make sure you know that you're still welcome here. We weren't going to just throw you out."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley, but I really thought it'd be nice to have my own start," Draco said. He was truly touched by the man's offer though.

"You know, Draco," said Ginny with a lopsided smile. "Most times when a young adult has their start in the world they go for renting a flat rather than buying a house."

"Yes, but I started in a mansion, not a house. I think this is a fair downgrade," Draco chuckled.

"Well that's just wonderful, Draco," said Mrs. Weasley. "But you're still welcome here whenever you'd like. Will you still be joining us for dinner?"

"Well, I would still love to join you if you'll still have me, but tonight I was wondering if everyone might want to come to my new place for dinner, Bill, Fleur, and Percy also," Draco offered.

"That's very sweet dear, but are you sure you can manage dinner for this group?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Hermione said she'd help me," Draco said, his anxiety was increasing with each word. He knew there wasn't much more he could say before Hermione made her announcement. "I'd really like to have you all."

"That sounds wonderful, dear," said Mrs. Weasley with her kindly proud smile.

"Congratulations, Draco," said Harry, followed by many congratulations from the others. Draco glanced nervously at Hermione.

"Um," Hermione started. "I guess I have an announcement too..."

Everyone looked at Hermione, most looking curious but Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Charlie looked a little concerned as if they already had an idea of what her announcement might be.

"I'm going to be moving in with Draco," Hermione declared. She felt rather anxious inside but she looked proud and assertive, letting everyone see that her mind was set.

"Hermione...?" Mrs. Weasley started, her brow furrowed with concern and her lips thin with her disapproval.

"Hermione, can I talk to you?" Harry snapped.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Harry."

Harry pushed past the others on the stairs and grabbed her arm pulling her toward the kitchen door, Ron right behind closing the door behind him as they entered the garden. Draco watched them go and looked back uncomfortably to the large group he was left with.

"Hermione," Harry started forcefully.

"Are you mental? What's wrong with you?!" Ron burst out.

"Excuse me?!" Hermione said, crossing her arms.

"What the hell are you thinking moving in with that pompous git?!" Ron demanded.

"Don't call him that!" Hermione shouted.

"I call them like I see them," said Ron.

"Then you still don't see him properly. He's not pompous!" Hermione said vehemently.

"Not pompous? The guy's always stiff with pride with his nose in the air!" Ron shouted.

"That's not pride. He's defensive. I've never met a person so unsure of himself. He reminds me of you, Harry. He's just trying to prove himself," Hermione proclaimed.

"Fine. He's changed," said Harry. "But this is still mad! You hardly know the guy."

"I know him as well as I know you," Hermione protested.

"How? You've only just spent a few weeks with him," replied Harry.

"Well you can't really help but to get to know someone when you're holed up with them for two weeks straight," Hermione said.

"Look, I know you like him. I know you think you know him and I know you've forgiven him, but he's still the guy you hated for seven years. How can a few weeks with him make you want to go and live with him?" Harry insisted. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart responsible one."

"I'm not being irresponsible. And I never hated him. I may not have liked him before, but I never hated him. And he's changed. I'm not holding onto feelings I had in the past. I'm going with what I know now and I don't see a single good reason that I shouldn't move in with him," Hermione said fiercely.

"No good reason? How about that you've lost all your sense and can't think straight?" said Ron. "We know that you've kind of had a thing for him, but we thought it would pass. That stoakle thing like the paper said."

"I don't just 'have a thing for him.' I really do love him. And it's not Stockholm's Syndrome. I started to fall in love with him once I started to get to know him, when we were imprisoned _together_, not when he was guarding me," Hermione declared.

"But you're still not thinking correctly. This is _Draco Malfoy_, Hermione," Ron protested.

"I know who he is, and much better than you! And I'm thinking just fine," Hermione argued. "Now I know this is hard for you to understand, but I really do love him and that's not going to change anytime soon. So you two are just going to have to learn to accept it. Now I'm going to pack."

"You're leaving tonight?!" Ron exclaimed.

"No! I'm leaving _now_!" Hermione shouted.

* * *

"That was insane," Draco said feeling overwhelmed and flustered as he dropped two armfuls of grocery bags on the kitchen counter. "I never knew that there could be so much food in the same store. Muggles are crazy."

"Well, there are alot more muggles in the world than wizards. _Alot_ more," Hermione defended. "And they eat alot more ethnic foods than wizards."

"Yes, but they had like twelve different types of pasta made by three different companies. They had an entire aisle dedicated to cereal and another for hair products. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's fascinating, but do they really need all that?" Draco asked still looking rather irritated.

"People have a lot of different tastes. And the store obviously sells it all or they wouldn't carry it," Hermione said as she began putting the groceries in the pantry and icebox. "But I can see that it was a little too much for you. I'll go alone next time."

"No," Draco replied, his frustration subsiding. "It wasn't that bad. It was rather interesting really. It was just so overwhelming. So many things and so many people. But I'm sure I'll be bored out of my mind in a few days and it will be nice to do something like that. Muggles are so strange that they're rather entertaining to watch."

Hermione looked a little unsure about his last comment. She thought it was probably a good thing that he was showing more and more interest in muggles, but she wasn't sure she liked him calling them strange. She was raised as a muggle and all of her family and friends from young childhood were muggles. All the things he thought were weird were normal to her.

Draco saw that he agitated her and apologized immediately, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way. They're just so different. It's like a different planet."

"I wouldn't go that far. More like another country. But there is a reason they call it the Muggle World and the Wizarding World. Muggle England is very different to what you've always known, but 95% of the population are muggles," Hermione replied. "And you talk about boredom, but even with all the cures Wizards have, muggles have the best cures for boredom."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Well... Wizards only really follow one sport: Quidditch. But muggles follow many many sports: Soccer, Rugby, Lacrosse, Cricket, Baseball, Basketball, American Football, Golf, Boxing, Handball, Tennis, Volleyball. The list goes on and on. And the invention of electricity really brought muggles ahead of wizards in entertainment. Television, Videos, Video Games, Computers. They have movie theatres, amusement parks, water parks... all kinds of things."

"Wow... I always thought muggles were...." Draco stopped, afraid to finish his thought.

"Inferior. You can say it," Hermione said. "I don't mind now that you're finding out that they're not. They don't have magic, but they really use their intelligence and ingenuity to make up for it."

"So what are all these 'electricity' things you talk about?" Draco asked.

"Well, television is probably the most common and casual form of entertainment. It's... It's like a large box with glass on one side. Pictures appear in the glass and perform a story... like a play at the theatre," Hermione explained.

"But I thought muggle photos don't move?" Draco said in confusion.

"On television they do," Hermione said. "And though they're kind of like wizard photos, they talk. Well, they only do the 'play', but you can hear them. It's really a neat form of entertainment. I always enjoy a good film. I haven't seen one in awhile though," she said a little disappointed.

"You should get a television then," Draco suggested.

Hermione snorted in amusement. "And put it where? It needs electricity to work," Hermione reminded.

"Well, actually... after talking to Mr. Weasley about muggles and how much they depend on electricity, I had them put some in here incase you wanted it," Draco informed. "Not much. Just a two 'plug' things, one in the kitchen and one in your room. I hope that's enough."

"Are you serious?" Hermione said in utter astonishment. "What did the muggle say who installed them? He must have thought it strange that you only wanted two sets of outlets."

"I wouldn't know," Draco reminded. "I wasn't here."

"You never cease to surprise me. And though I'd usually argue with you about spending money on something like a television, I think it'd actually be rather fun. I think you'd like it. Not to mention, it'd be a shame to have spent money on installing outlets and not putting them to use." Hermione said with an appraising smile.

"You know muggle things better than me, so I guess you would know," Draco agreed.

"Well, we better get started on making dinner. It will take awhile," Hermione said, setting out some carrots and potatoes. "Why don't you start cutting the vegetables while I get started on the meat."

* * *

Draco had his hands clasped behind his back as paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, staring at the small clock on the mantel. Occasionally he'd stop and wipe his sweaty palms on his pants before continuing. He didn't know how or when he lost his nerve, but he did. He wasn't sure why this dinner was so important to him, but it was. The Weasleys had all really accepted him among them… well at least better than anyone else ever had. He really wanted their approval of his new home, but even more, he didn't want them to be upset that Hermione agreed to live with him.

When Hermione had told everyone that she was moving in with him, she went outside with Harry and Ron, leaving him with the rest of the group. He was rather frightened of being left among them without Hermione but none of them had said a single thing to him… not one word. Hermione went up to Ginny's room to pack her stuff and Ginny followed. Hermione told him that she gave Ginny a time for dinner and then they both left. There wasn't a single opinion uttered on the subject and he was desperately hoping that they were not angry with him.

Suddenly, the fire next to Draco glowed green in the grate and Fred Weasley stepped out smiling.

"Wow… don't do anything halfway, do you Malfoy?" Fred greeted as he looked around the room, stepping out of the fireplace dressed in nice trousers and a sweater. "Mum was right to make us dress up a bit."

"Uh, welcome," Draco said apprehensively, extending his hand to Fred. He really didn't know how to act. He had learned proper manners and greetings from his parents, but the Weasleys were such a casual group that it felt a little strange to see them in this new type of environment. It did feel more upscale and classy, but he didn't want it to feel that way. He wanted it to be casual. It felt that he should offer a handshake or a hug in this setting but a hug was definitely too intimate at this point, and a handshake almost felt too formal.

Fred chuckled and gave Draco a very casual handshake.

"Wow, get a load of this place," said George, stepping out of the fireplace next to Fred. "Don't do anything halfway, do you Draco? Good thing Mum made us dress up a bit."

Fred and Draco looked at each other and started laughing as George said almost the exact thing Fred had just a minute before. "Scary sometimes…" said Draco with a chuckle.

"That's what happens when you're with someone all day, everyday for twenty years," said Fred. "But it still scares me too sometimes."

"What?" George asked in confusion.

"Out of the way, George. Someone's coming," Fred admonished. Just as George stepped into the room, Ginny arrived in the fireplace.

"Oh, wow," Ginny said, immediately staring up at the crystal chandelier.

"Welcome," Draco greeted.

"Are they here?" Hermione called from another room.

"Just arriving," Draco called back. "Hermione's finishing up in the kitchen. Quick though, is your mum upset with me?"

Fred and George exchanged looks and Ginny rolled her eyes. "Don't let these two scare you, Draco. She was a little uptight at first, but Dad and I calmed her down. No one knows about Harry and Ron though. They've been brooding most of the day."

"All we've heard from them all day were quiet grumbles that no one could understand. We ask them to repeat and annunciate but they just grumble again and walk off," explained George.

"Sounded like they were trying to speak gobbledegook," mused Fred. "They are coming tonight though."

"Who's coming tonight?" asked Ron.

"You and Harry," said Ginny.

"Of course we are," said Harry, stepping out of the fireplace.

"Mmm… What's that smell?" Fred asked as he smelled the air.

"Mmm…" agreed George and Ron.

"Curry," said Harry, his eyes closed as he smelled the air also.

"You guessed it," Hermione said, entering the room, drying her hands on her light blue kitchen pinny. Hermione looked at the entire Weasley family, including Bill, Fleur, Percy, and Harry, all standing in front of the fireplace with Draco. "We're having Curry Lamb with Vegetables, Basmati Rice, and Naan. It's just about done. And welcome everyone."

"Curry? That any good?" Ron asked Harry quietly.

"Yeah," Harry chuckled. "But why do you worry. Hermione's never prepared something you don't like… well, besides the mushrooms when he were starving…"

"Well," Draco said nervously. "Since dinner's not quite ready yet, would you like a tour of the house? Or wait, um… Hermione might want to do the tour with us. Can I get anyone a drink?"

"No, Draco. Go ahead and give them a tour. I'll get dinner on the table," Hermione offered as she walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, okay. Follow me then," Draco said, trying very hard to both act as cordial as his father and least like his father at the same time. Hermione smiled as she saw this struggle inside of him and turned toward the kitchen.

"Wait, Hermione," Harry called. "Can we talk to you?"

Hermione's smile slipped away. She didn't want to argue anymore. "Don't you want the tour?"

"Come on, Hermione..." Ron said dejectedly. "Let us talk."

Hermione sighed. "Come help me in the kitchen."

Hermione walked into the kitchen with a stiff no-nonsense air that was very like one that Mrs. Weasley might have. It was obvious to both boys that she was still very insulted and not ready to argue, but if they were going to try, they wouldn't last long.

"The water glasses are up there, Ron. Please get water for everyone. Harry, there are wine glasses over there and Mango Lassi in the icebox," Hermione instructed, heading to the stove.

"Mango Lassi?" Harry said, sounding impressed. "You really went all out."

"If you're going to do something, might as well do it right." Her voice had a snip to it. She was very uptight and just waiting for the attack, but Ron and Harry followed her orders, both looking too nervous to speak first. Harry poured his third drink before setting down the pitcher and looking up at Hermione.

"Hermione, look... we're sorry," Harry said seriously. Hermione looked surprised but still looked wary and defensive. "We can see that he means alot to you, but we've been worried. Things have changed very quickly. Our one time enemy shows up with you and neither of you are anything like you were before. It's a little frightening."

"We never meant to hurt your feelings. We only wanted to protect them," said Ron. "We know Malfoy isn't the git he once was, but that doesn't mean we're ready to trust him in a serious relationship with our best mate."

"It doesn't matter what you are or are not ready for. I do know Draco. And he's-" Hermione started heatedly.

"Whoa, whoa, Hermione," said Ron. "I'm just trying to explain to you what we were thinking. Please don't get defensive."

"What Ron meant was that we're just worried about you getting into a serious relationship. And if we're really honest, we probably wouldn't think anyone's good enough for you. We know Draco seems okay, we're just frightened about you getting your feelings hurt," Harry said earnestly. "But we can see that you're already very serious about him."

"And it's not our place to interfere," Ron mumbled. "You don't us to protect you now, but to support you when you need us."

"And we will," Harry said sincerely. "So please forgive us. You know how we get sometimes."

"We haven't meant to be mean or cold to Draco," Ron admitted. Hermione didn't fail to notice that Ron changed from calling him 'Malfoy' a moment ago to 'Draco.' "We're really trying to give him a fair chance now. And we ask that you try to understand and forgive us."

"Really?" Hermione asked, her cold defenses dropped.

"Really. We're sorry," Harry repeated.

"He really is a good guy," Hermione said seriously. "You don't need to worry."

"It's not as easy as that to stop worrying," Ron admitted. "But we promise not to interfere. Well, unless he does hurt you then you just say the word and we'll pummel him."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sure that won't be necessary, but I do appreciate it. I love you guys."

"We love you too, Hermione," said Harry.

"Which is why we act like idiots sometimes. You're our best mate," Ron explained.

"And like the sister I never had," said Harry. "I get protective. It's what I do."

"Thank you," Hermione said, the three of them automatically wandering into a group hug. "Now let's get dinner to the table."

* * *

**Wow... it's coming quickly to an end. The next chapter will be the last. ;_;**

**Please, please, let me know what you thought. Please review.**


	23. Conversed

Hermione leaned sideways against the headboard of Draco's bed in a pink tank top and flowered pajama bottoms with a glass of red wine in her hand while Draco mirrored her position on the other side with their heads near one another, a glass of wine in his own hand. With the dinner with the Weasleys over, they retreated there to relax and talk.

"Wow... that was strange," Draco commented. It felt like we were a married couple or something."

"Yeah, it was kind of strange. But it went well," Hermione added. "I was a bit worried at first, but everyone really loosened up. This is all going to become normal."

"Normal? What about any of this is 'normal'? There is no normal," Draco stated simply. "Comfortable though. I hope it becomes more comfortable."

_'Comfortable...'_ Hermione thought to herself. She felt comfortable. As she slouched against the headboard and looked over at Draco she felt very comfortable, almost like she was in a funny far off dream.

"Draco... Does it ever feel surreal to you?" She asked casually.

"Yeah," Draco replied. "All of it. But what exactly were you referring to?"

Hermione smiled, "All of it. Everything." Hermione paused to find the words to describe what she meant better. "I mean... _everything._ I look at us and think how strange it is, but how natural it is. I look back at the lives we lived before, back at our lives as children and at school and it feels like I'm looking back as an outsider, like I never actually lived it. We went through the war and it feels like it was all a strange dream."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Draco replied. "I look back and think... I know those people, but it's more like characters of a book. It's like I know exactly who they were, inside and out, but they couldn't possibly have been us."

"Exactly," Hermione said pensively. "And now, I feel like I've known you forever, my whole life. I know who you always were as much as I knew myself, but that wasn't us."

"I guess because it feels like we really started life over. Like we were reincarnated, but fully know who we were in our past lives. Those lives are still deep and fresh in us, bettering who we are, but we're completely different people at the same time. Does that sound right, or just silly? I could have just had too much wine..." Draco said in sober amusement.

"It's not silly at all actually. It sounds like it _should_ be silly, but again, everything's just surreal," Hermione said, taking another sip of her wine. "Who we are now seems like the most natural and comfortable thing in the world, but it's surreal too because I look at it and wonder how. Then I don't feel like I need to wonder because I just accept it as it is, natural and comfortable."

"I often wonder why you would be with me because I still look back at who I was," Draco admitted.

"Don't," said Hermione. "It's like I said. I look at your life like it wasn't real either."

"Hermione..." Draco said after a pause. "When you look at me, what do you see?"

"I see _you,_" she replied with a warm smile. "I see you like you are. It's almost unnatural the way I can see into you. I don't see who you _were_, if that's what you're asking. Because you were never really that boy. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah... And I can't tell you what that means to me," Draco said with a soft distant smile. Hermione couldn't help but to appreciate that smile. It was the smile that he still hid defensively from the rest of the world, so it felt like that smile belonged to her. _Her_ Draco.

"What about me? What do you see when you look at me?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I see you too. You were _never_ who I really thought you were. I look back and it's like I can see it all clearly now for what it was. I was so full of prejudice and anger and pride that I told myself and believed that you were fake and cruel and wrong, everything about you. But I can see now the scared and vulnerable girl you were, but still confident and full of pride that you had every right to. But you're not her now either. She was a girl that I can proudly look back on now... a character of a book that you can't help but love, but you've never been her. You're you," Draco said, looking up into her warm brown eyes at his last words. "You're lost, but you've never been so... found. You're like you finally found all the wisdom you were looking for, a deeper understanding of the world. You feel like...mine."

Hermione blushed lightly and looked down into her wine glass. His words caused her great warmth inside. "But none of this makes any sense to the rest of the world. When Harry and Ron were trying to talk me out of moving in with you, I knew them. I knew them completely like I've always known them. But they looked at me like they never knew me, like they could not understand me. It's not as though they ever really understood me," she added with a chuckle. "But it's different still. It's like they could spend their whole lives trying, and they'd never understand. They might, even probably, come to truly accept us together without trying, but they'll never understand what happened to us."

"No one will," Draco said solemnly, taking another sip of his wine. "Well, we will."

After a long but comfortable pause, Hermione spoke again, "Draco, I've made a decision." Draco looked up at her, neither nervous or excited, just ready to listen. "I've decided that it's time to go retrieve my parents. Well, not like tomorrow, but maybe a month from now. I miss them. I need them to remember me. Things have changed so much that I'm afraid if I don't bring them back soon, they'll never know me at all."

"I think it's a good idea," said Draco. "But don't be afraid. Your parents are different. Your parents will accept you no matter who you were or who you are. They love you unconditionally, you said so yourself."

"Yeah... but I know they'll be angry with me." Hermione looked wounded at the thought. "I've never disappointed them before, but I never let them see everything either. Now I'm going to reveal it and they're going to be hurt and wonder about just who I was... _am_. I never told them of all the beasts and wizards I've faced. They thought the worst I had to deal with was prejudice of being muggle-born. They knew that there was a dangerous dark wizard out there, but they never knew just how serious it was. They didn't know about the war. I just went home and turned my wand on them... I never turned my wand on them, ever. Then I changed their memories so that they never knew I existed and sent them to another country while I went off to fight in a war they never knew existed."

"They may not understand at first, but they will. You did it out of love and protection. The death eaters would have killed them," Draco said seriously. "They tried to find them when you were imprisoned. You saved their lives and possibly your own by doing that. I know it was hard, and it will be hard, but it will be okay."

Hermione just nodded in response.

"Will you tell them?" Draco asked. "About your capture?"

"Eventually..." Hermione answered, swirling the wine in her glass and breathing it in. "But no time soon." Hermione took a sip of wine and let it warm her from inside. "Draco... Would you come with me?"

"Of course," Draco said with a warm encouraging smile.

"When..." Draco started to ask a question but stopped. Hermione waited for him to continue, but when he just took a sip of wine, she saw that he had changed his mind.

"Please, what were you going to ask?" She cocked her head to the side to try and meet his eyes.

"When they come back... will you move back in with them?" Draco asked. Hermione could feel the pain when he asked but couldn't help but feel lighter inside herself.

"I was hoping you'd want me to stay," Hermione replied as she knew this was what he felt. "Nothing, not even my parents' return, will change who I am or my desire to be with you. Face it, you're stuck with me."

Draco chuckled softly. Another comfortable silence followed, both occasionally sipping on their wine as they sat deep in thought.

"Hermione?" Draco said in a barely audible voice.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"I've been thinking about my parents too…" said Draco, running his finger over the rim of his glass. Hermione watched him silently, giving him the time he needed to continue. "Just as it's time to bring your parents home… I think it's finally time that I let mine go." Draco paused deep in thought, an ache in his chest. "I think that it's time for me to say goodbye."

"You want to go visit their graves?" Hermione asked softly.

"Yeah," he replied. "I know that they weren't good people… I'm not even sure that they loved me. Well… maybe my mother did. But they did want what they thought was best for me. They tried hard for me. They never hesitated to give me what I wanted. They pushed me to be the best and taught me what it was to have pride and honor. They taught me respect. And even in all their faults, I learned from them; I learned who I wanted to be. And though in the end my father disowned me… I'm still his son and he's still my father."

Hermione just nodded in response.

"I need to let them go so that I can really put it behind me, so that I can really move on."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione asked.

"You wouldn't mind?" Draco asked seriously.

"They're your parents, Draco, part of you no matter who you are or where you go. They're part of you. And I'm here for you. If you want me there then I'll be there," Hermione said, gently brushing a few strands of his silky blonde hair from his eyes.

"I do," Draco answered quietly.

"Tomorrow?" Hermione said with a small smile. Draco smiled in return and nodded, silence falling around them again.

"What was it like?" Hermione asked tentatively. "…in Azkaban?"

"One of the most horrible experiences of my life," Draco said, looking down and away from her. At her silence, he continued. "I know that's really saying something because of all I've been through, but the only thing that ever felt worse was when I couldn't stop them from torturing you… or when I thought they were going to kill you."

"Tell me," Hermione requested quietly. "What did they do to you?"

"They didn't do anything to me. It was me," Draco said. "I was fine accepting that I would be there at first. But then I just couldn't stop thinking of you. If I had never really known you when I went in there, I would have been miserable then too. I would be wondering what life could have been like if I had made better choices, but I was used to feeling miserable and alone then. But knowing you… I _knew_ what I could have had if I had made better choices."

"But you did make better choices. That's why you're not there anymore," Hermione reminded.

"Yeah, but I couldn't think that then. I just couldn't help thinking of you. I know I told you to move on, and I really wanted you to. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to go get your parents, get a job, and even find someone to love you if that's what would make you happy. But at the same time it ripped my heart out to think that you might forget all about me. I pictured another man in your life, holding you, kissing you, loving you and no matter how much I wanted it for you, it killed me to think of. To think of someone else looking at you the way I do. I made myself think of you just so I would never forget. You hair, your eyes, I even wondered if our children might get your freckles. But then I thought of you with him… I could have survived seven years in there, but not the thought of you hurting or you forgetting me." Draco looked down at his wine glass despondently, a heavy ache in his chest.

"I would never have forgotten you," Hermione said, making him look her in the eye again. "I told you that I would try to move on, but I already knew that I couldn't. My life just wouldn't be right without you. And it's funny to me how you could picture me with someone else when the very idea seems so inconceivable to me. I'm only half a person without you. How could I offer half a person to someone else?"

"Damn it, what's wrong with me?" Draco snapped suddenly, rubbing his face in frustration. "I've always kept to myself. I feel so out in the open, vulnerable, putting myself out there like this, placing everything I am in another's hands."

"Not just anyone's though… mine," Hermione said softly. "And if you know me like you say you do then you already know that I'd never hurt you. I'll never let you fall."

He gave her a small smile, but there were still traces of sadness and frustration. "I know that. I really do. There's just this little tiny piece of who I was still inside me telling me that I'm stupid to expose myself like this, make myself so susceptible. But the better part of me just laughs at it. I know you won't hurt me. I know I can trust you. I never knew it was possible to be so close to another person, but you're the best companion a person could ever hope for. And it's actually quite liberating to be able to fully be myself, someone I never even knew I was," Draco admitted, a light blush on his pale cheeks.

"You're the greatest companion I've ever known too. And liberating is exactly the word I was looking for. We're liberated. When we were saved from the cellar, we were somehow liberated in more than one way," Hermione thought aloud.

"No," said Draco. "We liberated each other. Even in the cellar you helped me to find who I really was."

Before the silence could fully return, Hermione smiled and interrupted his thoughts. "So… What did they look like?" she asked with a sly grin. "…our kids?"

Draco glared at her playfully. "Oh, you think you're so funny, do you?" He shook his head, blushing furiously. "Well… it's probably about time we get to bed." Draco sat up and placed his empty wine glass on the table next to his bed. Hermione sat up also, finished the last sip of her red wine, and placed her glass on her own bedside stand.

"Couldn't find a way to get out of that question but to suggest bed?" Hermione asked playfully.

"You enjoy teasing me too much," Draco said, poking her side to make her squirm.

"It's true," admitted Hermione. "But it's still cowardly to say you want to go to bed to escape me."

"I don't want to escape you," said Draco, grabbing her around the waist.

Hermione smiled. "Good, but we _should_ probably get to sleep."

Draco chuckled. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Tolerate me." Hermione stood and smiled warmly down at Draco. "Well, goodnight."

Hermione was already walking toward the door when Draco stopped her. "Wait… come here," he asked quietly. Hermione returned to the side of the bed and Draco crawled across to her, kneeling high on the side of the bed, his face level with hers. Draco brushed her hair back, letting her long curls slide through his fingers before he leaned close and kissed her slowly and intimately. "Goodnight."

Hermione's cheeks were flushed as she walked to the door again.

"Wait…" Draco looked frustrated and uncertain as he looked up at the girl staring at him from his doorway. "If… if you ever wanted to sleep in here… you know… well, I…" Draco looked too nervous and frustrated to finish his sentence and Hermione slowly walked back toward the bed.

"You don't have to be afraid to ask me," Hermione said gently. "You should never be afraid to ask or tell me anything. I thought you would have understood that by now. Especially after tonight's very strange conversations."

"Old habits die hard, I guess," Draco said. "Hermione, would you like to sleep here with me?"

"Very much," Hermione said with a shy smile. Draco returned her smile and moved back to his side of the bed as Hermione pulled back the covers and slid into bed next to him. With a swish of his empty hand, Draco outed the candles. With a great sigh she pulled her pillow close to him, allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist. Both of them closed their eyes and allowed themselves to slip into their thoughts.

"Draco…?" Hermione asked, afraid that he'd already fallen asleep.

"Yes?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking very much awake.

"Where are we going from here?" Hermione asked solemnly.

"What do you mean?" asked Draco.

"Well, our relationship I mean. It's sort of… backward," Hermione said softly.

Draco looked at her quizzically, not understanding what she meant.

"I mean… Most couples start out with a mild attraction emotionally and physically. It depends greatly on fleeting emotions and physical intimacy of kissing and holding hands and such. It's sort of light and fluffy feeling," Hermione started.

"Fluffy?" Draco asked with a lopsided smile.

"Don't laugh," Hermione said with a sheepish smile. "And yes, fluffy. And then, if they're lucky, if they're compatible, then they start getting to know each other on a deeper level. They begin to trust each other and know each other better. But us… We started with unconditional, unimaginable trust and very quickly came to find the deepest and innermost workings of our hearts and minds. We've shared secrets and feelings with each other that we'd never even consider sharing with another. And I am very attracted to you and when we kiss and when we touch there's definitely a spark. But we're different. It's kind of…" Hermione searched hard for a word to describe what she was feeling but was finding it extremely difficult. Draco sat watching her, hoping for a way to understand what she was thinking. "…formal."

"Formal?" Draco asked.

"Well… yes. I mean, to kiss you is always very passionate. But our physical affections are never casual. When we touch or kiss we're always very conscious of it. You sounded so nervous just to ask me to come sleep here with you. To kiss you and touch you is the most amazing feeling, but when we kiss it feels almost… apologetic," Hermione explained.

Draco took a second to think on what she said. She was right, but why? "Well… for me, I guess I'm just afraid to hurt you. I know how fragile you are right now and the last thing I want to do is hurt you or frighten you."

"And I you," Hermione answered. "But you won't break me. I want to be close to you."

"You are and you will be," Draco said. "This is still very new and we are much closer than most couples ever could be. I guess we _are_ working kind of backward, but we're still growing with each other. I love you, and if you're sure of us, then no more apologies."

Hermione smiled and placed a light peck on his lips. "I love you too… Draco, Where do you see us going? The future of us?"

"I don't know," Draco said seriously, apprehensive about following this topic.

"You… you mentioned that you imagined children," Hermione said hesitantly. "D-do you see us becoming that serious?"

"I think our relationship already is serious," Draco replied. He took a little more time to ponder the question before continuing slowly, "I think that… that marriage and children between us are possible. I might even say that the idea is something I think I would like… But I have to admit that I'm afraid that if we dream too far ahead, we might lose sight of who we are now… Does that make any sense?"

"I think so," said Hermione considering his words carefully.

"I just... We're still discovering who we are again, discovering who we are together. I'm just afraid to plan for something that we're not ready for yet," Draco said hesitantly.

Hermione smiled bashfully and laughed. "I'm not proposing, Draco. I'm not trying to plan for the future. You just mentioned children and I wondered what you where thinking, if it was really something you thought about, or just a funny little thought that bounced into your head? Our relationship is sudden enough; we don't need to force ahead."

Draco chuckled also.

"I scared you, didn't I?" Hermione laughed harder. "I swear, I was just wondering what you were thinking."

"What I think," Draco said seriously. "…is that you are the most amazing person I've ever met. And I know it is sudden and we have no plans for the future beyond you taking your N.E.W.T.'s, but I can't imagine that there could ever be a single day in my life that I wouldn't want to spend with you. I hope I didn't sound harsh or hurt your feelings. I just want to take things-"

"One step at a time," Hermione finished his thought in unison with him.

"I agree," Hermione said as she smiled warmly. "Enjoy each day and savor each moment."

"Absolutely," Draco agreed, lightly brushing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you… I really do."

"I love you, too, Draco," Hermione said, turning into his hand and kissing his palm.

Draco leaned in and placed a light kiss upon her lips. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight."

**_Fin_**

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**Well... that's all she wrote. I know it might have been a strange ending, but I love pillow talk. It's so sweet. **

**I really, really hope you liked this story and it's predecessor. I had so much fun writing it. **

**Please, please, please review. I really poured myself into this one. All I ask is your opinion.**

**Please review. ^^**


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